The daughter of a Pretoria caretaker gunned down this week described her agony on Thursday at the news of his death.
“Our whole world has been ripped from us. All our plans and dreams as family are now gone,” said Charlize Gobey.
Her father Edward was one of the three people shot dead by Danie Small during a ten-hour hostage drama at the Meadow Estate in the east of Pretoria on Wednesday.
Charlize said: “A mad man shot and killed my dad for no reason. My dad only wanted to help. It will not surprise me if the man had planned this. A while ago he came to our house, he was very aggressive and wanted to hit my dad about a wall he wanted to erect. He did not have the proper plans or permission to build the wall.”
Several residents had run-ins with the Small family since they moved into the estate, she said.
“It was as if Small spent his days watching the cameras and making sure that no one came near his house. He was known as the man who had shot and killed his neighbour’s dog.”
“We have lived in this estate for all my life. My parents were some of the first people to build a house in this estate.”
Gobey had been the chairperson for many years.
“Even though he was no longer the chairperson, he was still sorting out everyone’s issues for them. He always just wanted to help people.”
Charlize said her father could no longer deal with the stress of solving other people’s problems and therefore decided to only manage the security of the estate.
“He and my mom, who have been married for more than 20 years, had plans to retire in Knysna.”
Charlize said one of her fondest memories of her dad was that he would wake up early on Sunday to go and get them all coffee and hot chocolate.
“He would get him and my mom, Marina each a coffee and for me and my sister, Tyla, hot chocolate. We would then all, including our bird, dogs and two tame rats, sit on the patio and just chat about everything.”
Charlize described her dad as person she looked up to, especially the way he had handled difficult situations.
Also read:
Five hostages released in Moreleta hostage drama
Shots fired in hostage situation
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