The owner of a business, which was targeted in an armed robbery last month, speaks publically about the incident for the first time in a video that was shared on social media on Wednesday.
The robbery took place at Compuport in Queenswood on 7 November.
One robber was shot dead, a client was shot and killed while the owner of the business and another client were shot and wounded.
https://www.facebook.com/CompuPort.co.za/videos/2652417814835946/
“My name is Coert Oberholzer, owner of Compuport and 15 November would’ve been my funeral,” he said in the video.
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“On 1 November, we celebrated our 19th existing year and we looked forward to November as a celebration month. Our lives changed drastically on 7 November.”
He said one of their clients, Leon van der Merwe, saw what was going to happen, ran out of the shop and came face to face with the robbers before they shot him.
“They just went on as if nothing happened,” he said.
He said he did not speak about the incident to talk about criminals, but to thank everyone involved.
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“Thanks to my wife, Isabel, our staff, my friend and our clients,” he said.
“There are not many people that experience such a gruesome event and live.”
He said he believed that it was due to everyone’s calm reaction that not more people were injured or killed.
“As many know, I was shot in the back and my friend was shot through his arm,” he said.
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“Thank you to Kilnerpark Security, the police, ambulance services and the Moot community for their speedy assistance,” he said.
“As soon as my wife got the chance, she called the incident in on the radio and hundreds of people showed up to help.”
He said they could not say thank you enough for all the help and support they received after the incident.
“The night I got out of the operating theatre, I knew I was going to be okay even though I was in pain because the support from our family and friends was just amazing,” he said.
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He also thanked the doctors and medical staff at Mediclinic Muelmed.
“Afterwards, one of our clients brought a wound nurse, Phumla, to help tend to my wounds at home,” he said.
“Every second day she was there to help.”
He said after the robbery, the shop looked like a bloodbath, as if a war had broken out.
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“It would’ve taken anyone very long to clean. However, my brother and his wife came from Louis Trichardt, saying that no one would clean the shop but them,” he said.
“Thank you so much.”
Oberholzer also thanked his wife.
“She is truly an iron woman. After the incident, we were closed for three days,” he said.
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“Despite everything, she went back on that Monday to open the shop. Not only to go on with the business, but also to support and carry those affected.”
He said they were emotional.
“November has been the worst month for us in 19 years,” he said.
“We didn’t go through this ordeal for 4 minutes just to step back. We will go on.”
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