On the morning of November 2, Muldersdrift resident Mariaan Brits and her fiancé Robert Stander were attacked and shot in their home. Stander unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.
Brits had to pick up the pieces and find a way to grieve, all while chasing down police officers to do their job and take her statement. She recounted what happened on that fateful day.
“I sat watching Netflix while my fiancé slept next to me in the living room. I heard a sound at the window behind me and woke Robert up and told him what I had heard. He got up, opened the curtain and looked, but he didn’t see anything. He lied down again and fell asleep, but the sound was there again. At about 01:00 when I heard three different male voices I immediately sat up and woke Rob up.
He got up again, opened the curtains, looked out, and again didn’t see anything. He walked to the kitchen and as we got into the kitchen we saw three men at the glass door outside with their weapons aimed at us. Two of them had 9mms and the other one had a .38 special firearm.
“None of them wore balaclavas. One guy put away his weapon and used a panga to knock the glass out of the window. He tried to loosen the steel frame to open the trellis door but struggled to do so. Rob fired a shot and the intruders disappeared. Rob unlocked the trellis and the glass doors, and that’s when the thugs grabbed the door and entered. They kept shooting at us. One of my pit bulls was shot in the leg. Rob pushed me into the bathroom where I tried to call for help but could I not see anything on my phone – I assume it was due to stress or something. I heard one shot and Rob screaming ‘eina’. Another shot followed and he was screaming of pain. Suddenly everything went quiet.
“The intruders forced themselves into the bathroom. One of them grabbed my phone and the another one threw me on the bed in my room and took off my pants. That’s when the guy in an ADT Fidelity uniform pulled the guy from me and said, ‘This is not what we are here for’. They kicked me and hit me with a gun on my forehead, and asked me where the safe was. I kept saying we didn’t have one, and that we didn’t have money; we didn’t have much. I started unplugging my PlayStation and the TV and they replied ‘we don’t want it’. I gave them the money box with a few coins. They took it along with my engagement ring. I offered them the bank card with the PIN, which they also didn’t want. All three of them walked out of the house towards the field. I drove to Robert’s parents where I told his brother that Rob had been shot.
“Netcare 911 paramedics declared Rob dead on arrival. We had to wait about two hours for the state mortuary workers to come and remove my fiancé’s body. We were supposed to have Rob’s body picked up at Roodepoort State Morgue around November 4 or 5, but were informed that they had not yet started the post mortem. On Saturday November 6, I was informed that the autopsy would not be possible because the body was already in an advanced state of decomposition.”
Brits said that she had been battling to get any information from the police.
Since November 3 I tried at least once a day to get hold of Sergeant Mokoena from the Muldersdrift Police to find out when it would be convenient for her to come and take my statement as well as identikits. My statement was finally taken on November 15 after I requested the Trio commander’s number, as well as saying I was going to the HAWKS and Carte Blanche. Until now, I have not received any further communication, nor counselling or answers.”
That was not the end of her ordeal, as Brits discovered the house had been broken into some time after the shooting incident and that most of her belongings had been stolen. “While going through the house I saw new and clear fingerprints and called the police. When I returned the next day to lock up the house I noticed the police had left bagged, sealed and tagged evidence of a bullet casing. I told the station commander and the Trio commander about it, and didn’t receive feedback until November 22 that they would pick up the evidence.
“I have lost my fiancé, my income, my house with all my belongings, my safety and dignity. Honestly, I am on the verge of suicide because I can no longer see myself going on. All that make me reconsider are my two dogs and the desire to see the people involved get the punishment they deserve. I am pleading for help.”
The Muldersdrift Police was contacted for comment on the matter, and as soon as it is received an update will be published.
