Family seeks justice after Alberton crash claims life of Enrique Robbetze Da Silva

An Alberton family is grieving and calling for justice after 24-year-old Enrique Robbetze da Silva died in a motorbike accident on the evening of May 2 at the corner of Swartkoppies Road and Venter Street, opposite Kota Joe Roadhouse in Alberton.

Enrique, who would have turned 25 three days later, succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of the following morning.

What began as a quiet Friday evening at home quickly turned tragic.

Enrique had just arrived home from work that night, exhausted from long hours.

“He came in, put his laptop in the bedroom, and came into the lounge,” his mother, Mandy da Silva, recalled.

“He asked me to move my car because he wanted to take the bike out, just to clear his head. I asked if he was okay, and he said, ‘Yes, mommy, I just need to ride a bit.’

“I told him, ‘Please don’t do anything silly.’ He replied, ‘Never, I have a family. I have my son. I have my wife-to-be.’”

As she moved her vehicle, Enrique pulled out his Suzuki SV1 000, paused beside her and said, ‘Love you lots.’

“Those were the last words he said to me.”

Moments later, Mandy began tracking him on the Live360 app, his girlfriend had just reloaded with data.

“He took his usual route down Swartkoppies, crossed the R59, and passed the BP garage. Then his speed on the tracker dropped drastically. After that, I heard the crash. That’s how close it was.”

Mandy’s mother’s instinct kicked in.

“I said to my husband, ‘We need to go now. It was Enrique. I know it.’”

Just as she reversed out of the driveway, her phone rang.

“A lady called and said, ‘Ma’am, your son was in a bad bike accident.’ I said, ‘I know. I am already on my way.’”
She arrived at the scene within seven minutes.

“He was lying on his back, helmet still on. I placed my hand on his chest and said, ‘Enrique, mommy’s here, my baby boy.’ He moaned, said ‘Ma,’ and that was the last thing he said.”

Mandy stayed by his side, holding his head to prevent choking, comforting him as he writhed in pain.

“He had a compound fracture in his wrist, a shattered ankle, and he started vomiting. I was digging the vomit out of his mouth with my hands so he wouldn’t aspirate. He bit me a few times, but it didn’t matter because he was in shock.”

A VW Polo travelling southbound allegedly turned right into Venter Street – directly into the path of Enrique’s oncoming motorbike.

“It would appear the Polo driver did not notice the oncoming motorbike, which T-boned the Polo on the passenger side,” Mandy explained.

The collision flung Enrique off his bike, leaving him with critical injuries.

He was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support, but passed away around 06:00 on May 3, just 11 hours after the crash.

Local authorities are investigating the case under case number 38/05/2025, but the family says progress has been slow.

According to Mandy, police have informed them that the EMPD has not contacted them about what happened with Enrique.

“There was an eyewitness, and his details have been given to the police,” she said.

“We are also trying to obtain CCTV footage to help clarify what happened.”

A security officer on duty at the time provided a detailed account of the incident, including the arrival of emergency services and chaotic scenes at the crash site.

The report confirmed Enrique was found approximately 20m from the point of impact.

The medical team from Netcare (RA04) arrived promptly and initiated emergency treatment on-site before transporting Enrique to the hospital.

The situation escalated when a Mercedes-Benz with family members of the Polo driver arrived.

“One occupant became aggressive, threatening bystanders with a firearm and knives, including the motorbike driver’s family. We had to call for a backup to help maintain order while the paramedics worked to save Enrique,” said a security officer who was on duty.

Security personnel and community patrollers worked together to calm the situation, control traffic, and protect the integrity of the emergency medical efforts.

Authorities and emergency responders later cleared the road and loaded Enrique’s motorbike onto a trailer under the supervision of an EMPD officer.

A family in mourning

Enrique leaves behind a heartbroken family: his mother Mandy, stepfather Andries, sister Nikita, girlfriend Chandre, and their seven-month-old son, Carter.

“I was never supposed to have Enrique,” Mandy said. “Doctors gave me a 5% chance. He was my miracle baby. And he only had a 1% chance of fathering a child, and now we have Carter. He is our blessing.”

Enrique, who worked in IT and automotive systems at BuyMoreCar, was described as a self-taught, multi-talented individual with a love for life and his family.

“He could do anything from welding, plumbing, alarms – you name it,” said Mandy.

Andries Kleynhans expressed the heartbreak of losing his son: “As parents, there are no words to describe the pain of losing a child. Enrique was taken from us far too soon.

“He had his whole life ahead of him. His dreams, his laughter and his kindness are now memories we hold close. We would give anything to have him back, but must now find the strength to lay him to rest and honour his life in the best way we can.”

“You were not just Carter’s dad. You were my person. I want justice for Enrique, for our son, and for the future that was stolen from us,” said Chandre Schwulst.

Enrique’s funeral will be on May 10, where his loved ones will gather to say their final goodbyes and celebrate the life of a young man taken too soon.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation contact Warrant Officer Joe Mataiu at 065 550 7928 or Mandy Robbetze at 079 122 4565 or email mrobbetze99@gmail.com