Waitress in kidnap ordeal
2009-01-07 09:39
Stellenbosch - A woman who was working temporarily as a waitress in Gordon's Bay was allegedly kidnapped on New Year's Eve by two men and a woman, robbed and eventually kicked out of their car in Macassar.
Angie Ras, 38, from Kleinmond said on Tuesday that she was threatened with a knife throughout the ordeal.
The mother of an 11-year-old boy told how she had been staying with a friend in December while she worked at a restaurant in Beach Road.
At about 23:00 on New Year's Eve, she was walking in the direction of the BP fuel station in the same road to get a taxi home.
Near the fuel station, a car stopped next to her and a young man with bleached hair in the back asked her in "Cape Afrikaans" for directions. The next moment he got out, pressed a knife to her body and forced her into the car.
The car was driven by a man estimated by Ras to be in his late thirties and next to him was an older, thick-set woman with curly hair who appeared to be sending SMSes all the time.
'I prayed'
Ras said her cellphone was grabbed from her hand almost immediately. She was taken on a ride of terror on the N2 in the direction of Cape Town, with the man on the back seat holding her tightly with one arm. With his other hand he turned out her handbag and took R1 000 in a plastic banking bag.
"I prayed. I promised you, I prayed so hard," said Ras.
Close to Macassar, the car stopped and she was ordered out of the car. Ras said she had been too scared to move, but she was pushed out and threatened that she would be shot if she turned around. Her handbag was thrown after her.
"I counted to 20 and when I turned around, they were gone."
Petrified, she went to stand in the middle of the road to attract the attention of an approaching police vehicle. She was then taken to Strand police station.
Gordon's Bay police on Tuesday were unaware of the incident as Ras had not officially opened a case. She said due to the trauma she had suffered, she wanted to get out of Gordon's Bay as quickly as possible and on Monday morning she had gone to Kleinmond police. A case would be opened as soon as she had reported her phone as stolen to MTN.