A LOCAL businessman and his wife fell victim to a brutal robbery on October 28.
The couple, who stay in Lenasia South, Ext 4 and have a small business in Lenasia, were tortured by four criminals who entered their home at about 11pm.
The four, who were wearing balaclavas, demanded that the couple hand over R2 million in cash. “They started slitting mattresses and bags to try and find money, but there wasn’t anything,” said the wife. The couple apparently pleaded with the four to take household items like the DVD player, but the criminals wanted money.
The husband, who was in the toilet at the time, was beaten up by the suspects, who stabbed him in his thigh, tried cutting his fingers with a scissor, and burnt his stomach with an iron.
The couple, and their young granddaughter, were then tied up and had their faces covered with tape.
As they continued beating her husband, the wife managed to free her hands, and secretly put the iron on low. The suspects thereafter held the iron to her chest, burning her. She was also stabbed with a screw driver to her knees. As they were doing this, they used the words “punishment” and “torture”.
They also took the wife to the bathroom, where they tried burning her with hot water. Fortunately, the hot and cold water signs were swapped, and only cold water poured from the tap.
The brutal attackers further held out a gun magazine to the lady, and told her that one bullet would be for her, another for her husband, and the third for her little granddaughter.
The attackers stayed in their home for about two hours, and not finding the money they thought they would get, left.
At this stage, the husband, who was also taped around the face, could not breathe. A family member explained that he thought he was going to die, and being a Muslim, had already read his final prayers (kalimah). Shortly afterwards, the criminals decided to leave, and his wife cut the tape off his face, saving his life.
The family pressed their ADT button, and the security company responded. Neighbours had to break the door, as the couple and their grandchild were left locked in their own home.
Some items, such as a sewing machine and DVD player, were stolen from the house.
By Saturday morning, the pools of blood had congealed on the passage floor and walls – a telling reminder of the previous night’s savage attack.
The couple is currently in hospital, while their grandchild is with family members.
According to Lenasia South police spokesperson, Captain Manoe Kele, no arrests have been made as yet, but it has been alleged that the criminals are foreigners.
But these criminals are stupid on a whole new level. R2 million in the house?
