Posted: 16 May 2012 09:45 AM PDT
Huge gangs along R300 cause crashes, rob badly injured drivers, even strip their cars.
May 15 2012 CAPE TOWN:
Paramedics, cops confirmed: large gangs cause deliberate car-crashes to
rob badly injured victims on Cape Town highway adjacent to squatter
camps: case of Claudia Dalias,29, who lost a leg: all her belongings
were looted and her car partially stripped while paramedics were
stabilising her:
Ms Kim
McCusker (25) was dragged hundreds of metres by a taxi which drove at
her and her fiancee on Sept 13 2011 at Lonehill Blvd, Fourways
The white couple were enroute to a
gymnasium in their bakkie at 6.30 am when a taxi ‘bumped’ into their
bakkie. While her fiancee was trying to exchange insurance information
with the driver, and Ms McCusker was standing in front the taxi, the
driver got irate and drove off at high speed – according to the great
many bystanders who ran after the taxi, yelling at him to stop: because
Ms McCusker had fallen underneath the speeding taxi and was being
dragged along underneath. She was critically injured.
Dozens of bystanders saved her live
All praise to the many dozens of South
Africans who ran after the taxi, forced the driver to stop, and detained
him in a citizen’s arrest waiting for the police to arrive.
Her family said the taxi-driver drove
towards the couple” in a very threatening way” and Ms McCusker fell
underneath it while the taxi drove off at high speed. Her fiancee was
able to jump out of the way, and ran after the taxi, yelling at the
driver to stop while his fiancee was being dragged underneath. She was
trapped beneath the taxi and dragged between 200 to 700 metres –
depending on which newspaper one reads. Beeld newspaper seems to be the
most accurate: their journalists measured the distance left by the
blood-trail photographed below:
Above, pictures and
graphic of the trail left behind by Kim McCusker while she was dragged
underneath a taxi at Lone Hill Boulevard. Many taxi-passengers and
pedestrians who witnessed the horrific assault rushed in to help the
injured woman. The taxi driver has been arrested and charged with
attempted culpible homicide meanwhile. The many onlookers and Lonehill
security guards had run after the taxi, forcing the driver to stop, and
helping the get the critically injured young woman from underneath while
the taxi-driver was held by the crowd until police showed up. . The
incident was witnessed by many onlookers. Her family are at the hospital
with her. On 15 September she reportedly was in critical condition and
fighting for her life: with extensive injuries all over her body, face
and skull.
Source – Vrou geopereer ná taxi haar sleep
Picture above: taxi-passenger and one of the many witnesses, Martha Morudi, photographed by Beeld newspaper.
Lonehill Residents’ Association head Rob
Gillespie said the taxi driver claimed to him afterwards that he drove
off because ‘the man assaulted him’. The newspapers interviewed many
witnesses who did not however mention this alleged assault. “The taxi
dragged her while pedestrians gave chase, screaming for him to stop,”
Gillespie said. “When he reached a congested area, he was forced to stop
and was arrested by Lonehill security guards.” Police spokesman Warrant
Officer Balan Muthan confirmed the taxi driver had been taken into
police custody. Justice Project SA (JPSA) chairman Howard Dembovsky
called for the driver to be charged with attempted murder, as well as
negligent or reckless driving. “The state will have no problem in
proving this charge, given the high volume of witnesses both in[side]
and outside the taxi. The man was able to get up after being knocked
down by the taxi, but Ms McCusker was dragged under the vehicle. Members
of the public freed the woman before paramedics arrived. She had
abrasions, tar burns and possible fractures.” Muthan said the driver
would appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court soon. – Sapa
Source – Woman hit, dragged by taxi
Trevor Du Bois, 25, survives vicious attack: was fixing tyre burst in hijackers’ spike- trap
September 14 2011 source: Mpume Madlala –
Two black attackers were arrested by the Pietermaritzburg K9 Unit after
the car hijacked earlier from resident Trevor Du Bois overturned on the
Umbumbulu Road near Mid Illovo.Police lt Joey Jeevan said the suspects
had on Sunday evening approached Trevor Dubois, 25, who had stopped
alongside the road to repair a flat tyre. In South Africa people are
often forced to stop to fix flat tyres when hijackers salt the roadway
with spikes. Jeevan said the two suspects had “helped Du Bois repair the
flat tyre. Then they assaulted and dragged Du Bois to a nearby
sugarcane field where they had taken his wallet and cellphone and left,”
she said. Jeevan said a few minutes later the men had returned and
forced Du Bois to give them the PIN for his bank card. They then
assaulted him again until he lost consciousness. The suspects then fled
in his Opel Corsa bakkie.“About an hour later Du Bois regained
consciousness, crawled to the road and flagged down a passing motorist,
who then contacted the police and emergency services,” she said – mpume.madlala@inl.co.za
Source – Hijackers caught after car crash
Other similar cases: a history of mysterious deaths in traffic
In South Africa a great many people also
are often intentionally killed or attacked in traffic, also by the
policing-authorities. Many Afrikaner “whites” are being run down and
killed in public by so-called hit and run drivers and just recorded as
traffic-fatalities: unless someone had the courage to come forward to
testify about the incidents.
World-famous Olympic swimming champion
Nathalie du Toit for instance, became disabled when her scooter was run
over by a ‘hit-and-run taxi driver’. These racist murders and attacks in
traffic can however hardly ever be proven. Road traffic fatalities and
homicide account for a significant proportion of non-natural deaths
(National Injury Mortality Surveillance System (NIMMS, 2005).
South Africa’s homicide rate of 72.5 per 100,000 population (2007/8) is about five times the world average of 14.0 per 100,000 population and the road traffic death rate in 2001 of 43.0 per 100,000 population is twice the world average of 21.6 per 100,000 population (WHO, 2002). The exceptionally high levels of violent crime sets South Africa apart internationally (McCafferty, 2003). The United Nations survey of 69 countries from 2001 already revealed South Africa to be second to Columbia: as having one of the highest firearm-related homicide rates worldwide (Schonteich & Louw, 2001). Egger (1993) argued that ‘homicide’ , the most serious form of violent crime, is likely the most reliable index of violence in a society given its high report rate.
South Africa’s homicide rate of 72.5 per 100,000 population (2007/8) is about five times the world average of 14.0 per 100,000 population and the road traffic death rate in 2001 of 43.0 per 100,000 population is twice the world average of 21.6 per 100,000 population (WHO, 2002). The exceptionally high levels of violent crime sets South Africa apart internationally (McCafferty, 2003). The United Nations survey of 69 countries from 2001 already revealed South Africa to be second to Columbia: as having one of the highest firearm-related homicide rates worldwide (Schonteich & Louw, 2001). Egger (1993) argued that ‘homicide’ , the most serious form of violent crime, is likely the most reliable index of violence in a society given its high report rate.
Extending
this view, Whitlock (1971) proposes that both homicide and roadtraffic
fatalities (in SA registered as ‘culpible homicides’) are manifestations
of ‘violent societies’
“Defined as ‘violent deaths’, homicide and
road traffic fatalities are the leading categories of non-natural
deaths in South Africa.’ Also: the study: “The Relationship between
Homicides and Road Traffic Fatalities” by the SA Medical Research
Council.
Anton
Vermeulen, security worker, father of three run down and killed on his
bicycle by speeding, red hit-and-run vehicle, July 6 2011, Brakpan, Dirk
van der Hoff Street, between 9 – 9.30pm
15 July 2011. BRAKPAN – source: LookLocal.co.za
journalist Thelma Koorts. As has only come to light a week later, Anton
Vermeulen, the hardworking Afrikaner dad of three young children, was
run down and killed while pedalling home on his bicycle after buying a
bread for his family. The red car which hit and killed him is nowhere to
be found. Police say they merely are investigating a case of ‘culpible
homicide’ – not murder. His heartbroken mom Hannetjie Oberholzer (43)
said her son ran his own security company. He had no car, travelling
everywhere on his trusty pedal-bike. People knew him as very reliable in
his work, she said. Many people in Brakpan knew the friendly young
Afrikaner: who used to work as a low-paid carguard until he got into the
security business. Pieces of the red car which hit the white man and
then just drove away, were found at the scene. “Anton worked very hard
to look after his wife Nicolene and the three daughters Nadia (9), Sonja
(7) and Hannetjie (5). We will picked up a bread at scene where he
died; he probably bought it earlier that night.’ His funeral took place
Wednesday July 13 2011.”
Source – Pa van drie jong kinders sterf
Pieter Coetzee, 60 and Johannes P Kruger, 32, killed on their motorbikes 16 October 2010
2010-12-21 – Pretoria North:
The SA Police say they know the identity of a male driver of a Hummer, a
citizen from Zimbabwe — who was witnessed by many road-users as he ran
his Hummer towards the bikers at high speed, killing two men and
permanently disabled a third man on their bikes. Pieter Coetzee and
Johannes P Kruger were killed, Pieter Coetzee junior was left
permanently disabled. The three Afrikaner men – members of the Christian
Motorcyclists’ Association – were riding to an early-morning prayer
meeting in Pretoria North on 16 October 2010, said warrant officer
Matthews Nkoadi.
Source – Hummer-man gee oor ná 2 sterf
2009
07 17 Traffic-accident disabled Dr Ceval Mills’ was robbed of his
patented electronic voice simulator, attacker also shoots down his dad
Dr Neville Mills, 63 – critically injuring him
Jul 19 2009. source: Hilda Fourie of Beeld newspaper
“Are you happy now?” screamed the armed
gangster afer gunning down Dr Neville Mills Senior of Evander. Dr Mills
was gunned down and critically injured when he came running from his
room after his wife Ria, 61, shouted when a gunman threatened to shoot
their nearly totally disabled son Dr Cival Mills, 34. Dr MIlls has been
unable to move anything except his eyes and thumb/index finger of his
left hand ever since he was injured in a traffic ‘accident’ outside
Shongwe Hospital near Malalane, where he worked as a rural doctor. The
traffic accident’s injuries had left him with the locked-in syndrome (a
neurological complication whereby a patient loses all voluntary muscle
function except for the ability to move the eyelids). He gained fame two
years ago as the winner of Mpumalanga province’s Fundza for Fun
(Reading is Fun) writers’ competition for his book “This too will pass’,
which sold out its first printing within just weeks. It took him four
years to write the book on a laptop computer using his thumb and index
finger. He also developed a patented computer mouse enabling himself to
type just as quickly as he did before he was disabled. For the three
years before he was attacked, he worked as a researcher at the medical
aid schemes Momentum Health and Discovery Health. He also developed an
electronic voice simulator with which he communicates – and which was
robbed. This innovative, self-designed IT apparatus functions with
controls that are activated with only the thumb and forefinger of his
left hand and which he has named Thingy. He was also working full-time
to develop two different IT devices that will make computers more
user-friendly for other disabled people with (extreme) limited hand
function. A patent has been registered on his first design Thingy — and a
grant was approved by the Department of Trade and Industry for its
development and marketing. He is currently registering and developing
the second device, which he has called Penpal. Mrs Mill’s daughter Mrs
Madie Dittrich, a Pretoria lawyer, said the first words to her mom and
disabled brother by the robber gang as they stormed into the Mills home
were: “Do you want to die today”?” They ripped off Cival’s patented
cellphone he designed himself, and which he wore around his neck, and
pushed a handgun to his head.“They told my mom they are going to shoot
Cival dead. My mom screamed, and this alerted my dad who was on his bed.
He jumped up and rushed to the living room – and when the gunmen saw
him they shot him down. Then they screamed at my mother ‘Are you happy
now?’ While Neville Mills was lying on the floor, bleeding and
critically injured, the gunmen calmly took the family cellphones and
laptop-computers and strolled out of the sliding door they had broken
through to get into the house. Her brother still tried to push the
gangsters with his wheelchair but her mother intervened, stopping him
from doing so, Mrs Dittrich said. Neville was rushed to Unitas Hospital
where one kidney was removed during a six-hour surgical procedure and
his stomach, which also was struck by the bullet, required repairs. Mrs
Dittrich said that her mom and brother were very traumatised. Police
supt. Abie Khoabane confirmed ‘the incident’ and said nobody was
arrested.
Memoir by Dr Cival Mills Becomes Overnight Bestseller – UP Home » Laureate Recipients 2008 » Dr Cival Mills
Magdel Steyn, attacked by aggressive Pretoria traffic cops – caught on candid camera
Magdel Steyn was merely parking her car at
a PRIVATE parking lot when the lone Afrikaans woman was arrested by an
aggressive Pretoria police force in front of a huge crowd — but the
abusive cops were caught on camera by Afriforum civil rights
movement…March 14 2010 – PRETORIA AfriForum has released shocking visual
material of Pretoria metro male police officers unlawfully yanking
around an Afrikaans woman in front of a large crowd and then illegally
arresting her. Her ‘crime?” – she was accused of double-parking at a
private parking lot…During the broadcasting of the M-Net programme,
Carte Blanche, on Sunday 14 March 2010, the story of the 24 year-old
Magdel Steyn was told. She was arrested in front of her relatives by the
(Pretoria) Metro Police on a fake charge of “reckless and negligent
driving” — after allegedly double-parking at a privately-owned parking
lot. It’s not known why the Pretoria metropolitan police were present in
such large numbers just to arrest one defenceless Afrikaans woman who
had done nothing wrong.Nantes Kelder, head of community safety of
AfriForum, the visual material shows shocking images of Steyn’s human
rights being violated under the pretense of a very minor traffic
violation. “AfriForum has already discussed the matter with Mr Francois
Beukman, the Executive Director of the Independent Complaints
Directorate (ICD). The incident is regarded in a serious light and the
ICD will investigate it further,” Kelder said. AfriForum’s legal team
also served a letter of complant to the Head of the Metro Police,
Commissioner Mutle. In the letter AfriForum asks for the latter’s
undertaking that action will be taken against the metro police members
involved immediately. AfriForum also demanded that these members should
be suspended, or be withdrawn from active policing duties. Kelder
encouraged members of the public to tell their stories about incidents
of power abuse by police members at www.afriforum.co.za.
ALL THE PICTURES: www.afriforum.co.za homicides and traffic-report fatalities report at: www.mrc.ac.za/crime/homicide. pdf
Traffic murder of Afrikaans pupil Bernadine Kruger: taxi-driver Percyval Matji found guilty of her murder
Friday, 11 September 2009 – Bernadine Kruger’s taxi-murderer Percyval Matji found guilty of murdering Afrikaans pupil Bernadine Kruger,
left. The high school pupil was riding on her scooter and was followed
across two empty lanes, with high-speed, honking taxi-driver Percyval
Matji, 31, hot on her heels, switching from lane to lane, and according
to witnesses, ‘ intent on wanting to force her off the road’ on 23
February 2009…Initially Matji was charged with culpible homicide – but
the Prosecuting Authority agreed with the formal petitions lodged by her
mother and the Freedom Front Plus party ‘s legal team to change this
charge to murder — due to ‘overwhelming and convincing evidence before
the court’. Handing down judgment to Percyval Matji, Magistrate Edmund
Patterson said: “It was not a mistake. It was not negligence.”On hearing
judgment Kruger’s grief-stricken mother Elsabe Homan let out a loud
“yes”. Patterson said from the evidence it was determined that Matji
deliberately followed Kruger and “wanted her out of his way”. He said
Matji had made a lethal weapon of his vehicle by driving at speeds far
exceeding the limit.” The murdered girl’s mother Elsabe Homan, Freedom
Front city councillors Dr Conrad Beyers and Advocate Anton Alberts,
councillor on the Johannesburg city council, all said they welcomed the
decision by the Prosecuting Authority, describing as a watershed-case.
“This sends a message to all reckless drivers that they will have to pay
a high price for taking someone’s life, ‘they said in a statement.
“This specifically applies to the country’s minitaxi-industry, of which
some of its members drive as if they have no responsibility towards
anyone else. This decision shows that human life still has some value in
our land.’ The Freedom Front Plus will now assist Mrs Homan in lodging
civil claims against various people involved in this case. ( for more
comment telephone Adv Anton Alberts, tel 083 950 9272.)
Beeld journalist Herman Scholtz reports that one of the witnesses, Mrs
René van Zyl, testified in the Pretoria Regional Court on August 13 2009
that she and her 11-year-old daughter saw ‘Bernadine flying through the
air” while slowly moving in the rush-hour traffic. Her daughter watched
the event unfold and shouted ‘the taxi doesn’t stop,’ testified Mrs Van
Zyl, who said her daughter also screamed: ‘He’s going to hit her, he’s
going to hit her..’ as she saw the schoolgirl fly throught the air for
several metres, and getting hit by the taxi after she fell on the
tarmac. Other witnesses, Hugo Vermaak and Mrs Sanet Venter, also
testified, as did Mrs van Zyl, that the taxi-driver was ‘honking his
horn loudly, constantly and aggressively as he was approaching the girl
on her schooter from behind at high speed. They all saw the taxi hitting
the girl in the adjacent east-bound lane while the three witnesses were
moving very slowly, stuck in a traffic jam going in westerly direction.
All testified that the east-bound lane was clear, with no other traffic
next to the taxi and Bernadine’s scooter going in the same direction.
Pictures: Bernadine Kruger, above, who was murdered by high-speed taxi-driver Percyval Matji, below,
on 23 February 2009, while riding to school on her scooter on an
near-empty eastbound dual-carriageway in Pretoria. Three witnesses
testified about the taxi-driver’s aggressive behaviour during this
incident. He was found guilty of her murder on Sept 11 2009. Matji, had
approached the girl on the scooter at high speed and did not slow down,
riding her bumper and following her from late to lane although the
dual-carriageway was empty of other traffic, witnesses said. She tried
to move over to the left lane but the taxi then hit her at such high
speed that she flew through the air and fell several metres further in
the roadway – at which point the same taxi-driver then drove right over
the stricken girl. She died on the scene.
Scooter awareness club launched after rash of deadly taxi-accidents
The scooter-awareness club, launched after
many such incidents, launched a Facebook to draw the public’s attention
to this growing problem. Its Facebook page notes that ‘driving in South
Africa is becoming more of a dangerous challenge by the day. Taxis
doing what ever they want just to squeeze in one more person. SUV’s
driven by people that care about nothing else than their wallet. Trucks
driving 90km/h in a 70km/h zone.”
“Tailgating and overtaking in dangerous
places at dangerous speeds… When something goes wrong, the other driver
only has a few scratches to worry about on his shiny new SUV, Taxi, BMW.
The scooter driver, in some cases, will never worry again”…
Examples cited:
Top swimmer Natalie du Toit became disabled in scooter accident
The founder, Eugene Maartens, also noted
that it was a scooter accident which caused the loss of her left leg of
the superb South African swimmer Natalie du Toit – world’famous for her
amazing gold medal wins at the 2004 Paralympic Games as well as the
‘able-bodied’ Commonwealth Games. She qualified to compete at the 2008
Summer Olympics in Beijing, becoming the first female amputee swimmer
ever to qualify for the Olympics, where she placed 16th in a field of 24
in the 10,000m swim.
In February 2001 her left leg was
amputated at the knee after she was hit by a car while riding her
scooter back to school after swimming practice.Bernadine Kruger: Also
noted was the death of Bernadine Kruger, who died from the criminal
actions of taxi-driver Matji.
Source – The Scooter Awareness Group