Dirk Kotze (42) is currently in the Millpark Hospital in Johannesburg, where he will undergo an operation to remove his left eye after it was irreparably damaged during an incident in Middelburg on Friday night.

A family member that asked to remain anonymous, said “Dirk will never be the same. His life has been destroyed. You should see the scans they did on his eye, there is nothing left of it!”

Two witnesses, a man and a woman, contacted Middelburg Observer on Sunday to give their versions of what happened on Friday, on the condition that they be kept anonymous.

According to the first witness, two women were fighting in the parking lot between the Engen filling station and Nando’s. The parking lot is situated on the corner of Cowen Ntuli and Walter Sisulu Street.

“A man started pushing the women around and then second man intervened and started hitting the first man,” the witness said.

She recalled that, at the same time all this was happening, a group of people walked out of a nearby club. One member of the group, identified as Kotze, walked in between the two fighting men to try and break them up.

“The next thing we hear this loud sound and then we see Dirk falling to the ground. There was blood everywhere,” the woman said.

She claimed that the man who allegedly hit Kruger in the face, got into a Volkswagen Jetta with a group of his friends, and left.

The second witness admitted that he was one of the men involved in the original scuffle, and that he was fighting with the man who initially pushed the women around in the parking lot.

“Dirk was not fighting when he came to us. He was calm. He was trying to calm all of us down,” the man said.

He recalled that he turned away from Kotze when he heard a loud noise, causing him to turn back.

“I sawy Dirk fall to the ground. Blood was flowing out of the wound and there was a puddle of blood forming on the ground.”

Like the first witness, he claimed that the man who was responsible for injuring Kotze, got into a red Volkswagen Jetta.

“Some of his friends were still hanging around. I told them to leave before things escalate. They all got into the Jetta and left,” the witness said.

The identity of the man, allegedly responsible for the damage to Kotze’s eye, is known to Middelburg Observer. It may not be made public at this stage as he has not had a chance to give his side of the story, and because of the possibility that criminal charges may stem from the incident.

Just before publishing, Middelburg Observer learned that the man in question, was admitted to hospital. The reason for him receiving medical treatment is not known at this stage.

This article was translated from Afrikaans. Read the original article here.