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Hijackers dump paraplegic
24/05/2006 23:43 - (SA)
Lucia Swart, Beeld
Johannesburg - "When I saw one of them above me, I wished I could walk - but, one doesn't fight against a gun," says paraplegic Bertus Swanepoel.
Swanepoel, 41, of Clayville between Pretoria and Midrand, was speaking after he had been hijacked by "three young children" scarcely a kilometre from his house.
Swanepoel, who has been living in Clayville with his wife, Elzanne, and nephew, Henry, 15, for less than a year, was hijacked on Tuesday after "reporting" for his first "garden service job".
"I dropped pamphlets in people's postboxes on Monday as Oupa (Mahulu, his caregiver) and I wanted to start our own garden-service business.
"My first job was on Tuesday," said Swanepoel.
He indicated with gnarled fingers where the "three young children" had hijacked him and Henry.
"Oupa was carrying the lawnmower and Henry was sitting behind me (in the car) when one of the hijackers opened the door and pushed the revolver into my face.
Hijacker told him to drive
"He told me to get out; he wanted the car.
"I told him I couldn't get out because I was disabled.
"He then said 'Oh, shit', ran around the vehicle and got into the back. He said I would have to take him," said Swanepoel. Meanwhile, one of the other hijackers had pulled Henry out of the Audi and with a gun to the head, forced him to squat on the ground.
"I was suddenly calm when I saw the gun to his head. I realised that I couldn't think about myself, but about him.
"I said I wouldn't drive, they must rather pick me up and put me down next to Henry," he said, indicating the boy next to him with tears in his eyes.
Henry said: "They searched my pockets and stole my cellphone before lifting my uncle from the car and putting him down on the ground. They jumped into the vehicle and drove off."
But, Swanepoel doesn't have time to consider that they had survived by the skin of their teeth - the recovered car needs fixing first.
"They found my car in Tembisa on Tuesday evening.
"I've been battling with the hand control all day; they must have ripped it out in frustration.
"I don't have money for a locksmith," he said, tears still on his cheeks.
Going to get on with their lives
One of his friends told him he and Henry should go for counselling.
"But, I'm not concerned about that right now, only about how I'm going to get there," he sighed.
The hijackers are still at large.
Swanepoel said: "The youngest was about 16 years old, and the oldest about 22.
"I will see them again. I'm not going to just sit here, scared.
"The moment the car is fixed, we are getting on with our garden service," said Swanepoel.
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