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Ralph Haynes al tien jaar weg

“Ralph Haynes is dood.”

So glo die spesialis ondersoeker, Mike Bolhuis.

Haynes het tien jaar gelede onder geheimsinnige omstandighede verdwyn. Hy is nooit weer gesien nie, al het mense Bolhuis gebel en beweer dat hulle hom opgemerk het, was al die leidrade vals.

Bolhuis sê Haynes se profiel was plaaslik en internasionaal te bekend dat hy net kon verdwyn.

Die man wat deur skrywer, Izak du Plessis, die “Godfather van die Wes-Rand” genoem word, is op 21 Januarie 2011 by die Kitty Hawk Lughawe deur die sakeman en hokvegter, Frikkie Lutzkie, met sy helikopter opgepik en na sy huis langs die landgoed by Krugerdam gebring.

Izak du Plessis se boek.

Volgens Lutzkie het Haynes beweer dat hy inligting het oor ’n sluipmoordaanval op hom voorheen in die Pick ’n Pay parkeerterrein op Middelburg. Verskeie skote is op Lutzkie geskiet.

Hy is later met Lutzkie se Bantam bakkie terug na Krugersdorp, maar is nooit weer gesien nie. Die bakkie is verlate langs die pad tussen Bronkhorstspruit en Bapsfontein gekry.

Die passasiervenster was stukkend, maar daar was geen ander leidrade nie.

Bolhuis sê die bakkie was so skoon “dit het na spirits geruik”.

Mike Bolhuis.

Hy het onthul dat Haynes vir sowat ’n jaar een van sy informante was en dat hy waarskynlik binne ’n week gearresteer sou word vir georganiseerde misdade.

Daar is later vertel dat Haynes “in ’n oond” gedruk is en nog ’n bewering, volgens Bolhuis, was dat hy in die nek ingespuit en in ’n mynskag afgegooi is.

Bolhuis noem verskeie name van plaaslike sowel as Wes-Rand inwoners, wat by Haynes se verdwyning betrokke kon wees.

Na tien jaar en sonder enige nuwe leidrade, lyk dit nie asof die geheim van Haynes se verdwyning, ooit opgelos gaan word nie.

Iemand weet, maar niemand praat nie, sal dalk nooit praat nie.

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Tobie van den Bergh

Tobie started as a journalist in September 1975. He was appointed editor of the Middelburg Observer in 1982 where he worked until he retired in 2024. He received numerous awards, is a founding member of the Forum for Community Newspapers and has published two books about his work. Although retired, Tobie is still very much involved in community journalism.
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