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Owner of vehicle claims thieves were not in his car

The owner of the white Avanza which was parked near the vehicle where two thieves opened a woman’s car door, said the thieves did not come from his vehicle.

A highly upset Mr Edwin Motubatse visited the Middelburg Observer offices on Tuesday morning. He said that the information regarding a video that is doing the rounds on social media, and an article claiming that two men climbed out of the car and opened a lady’s car door, is untrue.

In the video, one can see where Ms Elzette Pansegrouw stopped at the Midwater filling station.

Shortly after she stopped, a man climbed out of the Avanza and walked around the station, passing Ms Pansegrouw’s vehicle. He is then seen climbing back into the Avanza.

A few minutes later, she went to get something inside the shop, only to come out running when she saw two men opening her vehicle’s door. She confronted them, but they just walked away.

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According to Mr Motubatse, he can only see that two people came from the side after his Avanza left and then opened Ms Pansegrouw’s car door, “They can not see or say that the two men who opened her door came from my Avanza.”

He mentioned that he did not drive the vehicle on that specific day and that his brother, Dumiso, was driving the car.

He said that he was stopped by the police last week, and told that they were looking for his vehicle. Mr Motubatse went to the police station, but no case had been opened at that stage.

“I lost a contract because they assumed the thieves were coming from the Avanza! People can not just make accusations like this!”

• Ms Pansegrouw’s husband, Desmond, went to the police shortly after the incident but could not open a case because he did not have enough information about the vehicle, like the registration number.

He is working out of town and only received more information about the vehicle late last week.

He went to the police on Monday to report the matter. They told him that he still could not open a case because nothing was stolen, but they did take his statement and promised to give it to the detectives.

• Www.mobserver.co.za contacted Mr Pansegrouw for his comment on what Mr Motubatse said, and he persisted that “you can clearly see that the person who climbed into the Avanza earlier, is the same one who shortly afterwards opens my wife’s car door.”

• The incident happened on 30 April.

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Daleen Naude

Daleen Naudé is the news editor of the Middelburg Observer, Observer Daller and the Observer Express. In 2024, she was named FCJ Journalist of the Year for the second time, and has won numerous other accolades during her illustrious 36-year career. As an industry leader in investigative reporting, Daleen has uncovered various hidden truths in her time at the Observer.
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