War hero thanked for service 34 years after life-changing injuries sustained in Angola
Northside Charter of the Patriots Motorcycle Club honours Sean Robbertze and thanks him for his service.
Sean Robbertze was 19 when he suffered life-changing injuries during the war in Angola after being conscripted into the army in 1987.
He spent weeks in a coma, had to learn to walk again, lost most of the use of his arms but most devastatingly, lost the ability to speak.
Robbertze, was thanked for his service by the Patriots Motorcycle Club of which he is an honorary member with a 70-strong bike parade from Edenvale to their clubhouse in Fairland.
James Starkey, organiser of the parade and president of the Northside Charter of the club, and fellow war veteran said, “The war is never over. We all have PTSD, whether you are disabled or not, but Sean was changed forever. Sean is our brother and a war hero and deserves to be recognised as such. It’s the least we can do –even if it’s 34 years late – is to do this bike parade in his honour.”
Rocky Wainstein, national president of the club, paid homage to Robbertze and all fallen service men and women, adding, “Our club consists of mainly military veterans who are of huge support to each other, both on and off the road.”
Robbertze had typed a special speech on his tablet that was read out on his behalf. “[I thank] my beautiful wife Bella, my family, and friends for sticking by my side during some difficult times. You never gave up on me!”
The emotional day was held at the MOTH (Memorable Order of Tin Hats) cottages in Fairland. The order was formed in Durban in 1927 to assist veterans from the First World War and continues its work to this day. Robbertze said that MOTH had helped him ‘deal with demons from the past’.
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