North woman assaulted, man arrested

A 53-year-old woman from Wonderboom was assaulted by an unknown man on the corner of Braam Pretorius and Elizabeth streets in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Theresa Steyn, who has been selling newspapers on that corner for the past six months, said she was still anxious and traumatised following the ordeal.

“Since I started selling newspapers in this spot, I’ve had this fear that something might happen to me.”

Steyn explained she was dropped off at 05:00 and walked around the vehicle to get her packet of newspapers.

“I saw the man coming from behind me. At first, I thought that he might only walk past me.

“He walked straight in my direction, grabbed me by the throat and threw me on the ground,” she said.

“The man had a slender face, white T-shirt and jeans on. He looked me in the eye and told me ‘I’m going to kill you.”

Steyn said her colleagues were fortunately still at the spot where she was dropped off when the incident happened.

“I screamed. I was hysterical. My colleagues jumped out of the vehicle to come and help me,” she said.

“A security company’s vehicle was just around the corner from where the incident happened and also rushed to my aid.

“I only had a cellphone with me. I told the man I had no cash or anything with me.”

The man was later arrested by the Sinoville police.

“As the man was sitting next to the police vehicle, he looked me in the eye all the time. I felt very intimidated,” said Steyn.

Steyn lives with her daughter in Wonderboom.

“My daughter has a three-year-old son and I am one of the breadwinners. This is how I earn an income.

“I know I will have to gather the courage to go back again, but at this stage, I do not see any chance of going back,” she said.

“Every time I close my eyes I see this man standing in front of me.

“It is only by God’s grace that he did not kill me.

“The thought that keeps grinding in my head is what if he comes back?

“So many people have said to me ‘Theresa, get pepper spray’, but no one realises how something can happen in the blink of an eye.

“At that moment, you think of nothing but to fight back,” she said.

Steyn wants the community to take note of her incident so they can be more vigilant of their surroundings.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk said the man appeared in the Pretoria magistrate’s court.

“He was arrested on a charge of assault,” he said.

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