Hat tip African Crisis, home of the feel-good stories about South Africa.Hilton resident Dennis Gramkow is fulsome in his praise of Amanzimtoti police and others who assisted him and his son after they were hijacked on Saturday. Gramkow, 42, a human resources development manager, and his eight-year-old son, Christopher, were returning home after a weekend fishing trip when they were hijacked, robbed and attacked.
Gramkow is still shocked after his ordeal at the hands of a mob near Umbumbulu. "My son and I were travelling along the Umbumbulu road that goes past Eston and exits at the N3 junction. "We rounded a bend and came across a mob of people and a truck stationary in the road. As we approached we were flagged to stop."
Gramkow said 30 to 40 men had suddenly charged towards them. He tried to reverse his Opel Corsa bakkie at high speed while some in the mob fired shots. He was unable to spin the bakkie around before they were mobbed. "My son's door was locked and they yanked mine open, grabbing my key and screaming for my cellphone and money. I raised my hands and told them they could have everything, but not to hurt my son.
"We were ordered to get out of the bakkie. My son, who was undoing his seatbelt and unlocking his door, was flung outside by about four men who kicked him. I was also hit on the head from behind," he said.
The bakkie was then driven to the roaring mob, where it was spun around in circles. Father and son were helped by the occupants of a taxi, parked some distance away, who had witnessed their ordeal.
Gramkow said the police later recovered his bakkie from the scene. "The police were fantastic. They assisted us by inspecting the car for damage caused by the bullet holes and accompanied us back to the Amanzimtoti Police Station. Immediately they called for a trauma counsellor to debrief my son and I. They assisted us with statements and went out of their way to make us feel secure."
The usual stories about SA police are less complimentary, mebbe they were lucky.
Police told him a hijacker, who had been killed a week before, was to have been buried that day. They suspected his bakkie was to have been burnt at the funeral.
Nicer than necklacing, I guess...