Oom Martiens already had his first retirement trip planned

“WAKE up Martiens, talk to me,” Engela Bann desperately pleaded with her husband as she held him while he lay on the driveway, bleeding from his wounds.

Martiens Bann had been shot twice, once in the hand and again in the stomach, after trying to help his neighbours in their Flamboyant Street, Edleen home, during an armed robbery.

The brave 64-year-old metro police officer was awakened from his afternoon nap on Saturday and alerted about the robbery. The exact time of the incident is unknown but everything took place between 1 and 2pm.

Not knowing his life would come to an abrupt end in less than an hour, Bann, who was always willing to lend a helping hand, made his way to the home where the robbery was taking place, gun and radio in hand.

By 1.40pm, he had been declared dead by paramedics.

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Bann was shot and killed in the driveway of his neighbour’s home after confronting the suspects, who are now in police custody.

The bravery and selflessness that drove Bann to not even hesitate to help when he was called that day, was indeed a true reflection of the kind of man the community knew him to be.

“He was the type of person you could call any time and any day for help. He would help his family, friends and community with anything possible, even if it was outside of his work duties,” Drikie Swart, his daughter-in-law, recalls.

Bann would often be seen by community members doing points man duties on De Wiekus Road for the learners at Panorama High School.

His passion for his work and community led him to serve the EMPD for 30 years, starting as a traffic officer and later as an officer for the metro police.

Having been born in the small town of Clocolan in the Free State, Bann moved to Kempton West in 1981. He was married to his first wife Alida for 35 years before she died of cancer. He and his second wife, Engela (67), were married for eight years.

Bann would have celebrated his 65th birthday on September 5, the same month he was planning to retire.

Although he loved his work dearly, Swart said, Bann couldn’t wait to retire and finally rest after spending years working hard as a metro police officer.

“The first trip they were planning on taking together was to visit Engela’s brother in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo.”

Next in line would have been the couple’s annual trip to Scottburgh in KwaZulu-Natal, where they would have visited one of their daughters-in-law.

Very much a family man, it was clear Bann loved spending quality time with his family of 12 children (including step children and in-laws), 18 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

He attended the AGS Kerk in Kempton, headed by Past Peter Marais, where he was also involved in church projects if he was asked.

Bann will be laid to rest on Friday. The service will be held at Wynand Marais Community Centre at 11am.

The funeral procession will then go to Mooifontein Cemetery where he will be buried with his first wife.