East couple attacked in horrific home invasion

A couple has been robbed barely three weeks after moving into a new home in Equestria.

Andre Smit and his partner Adri van Schalkwyk were tied up, beaten and robbed during a brazen home invasion on Monday, April 22.

Smit said the group of armed assailants escaped with more than R45 000 worth of property.

The couple said they don’t enjoy sleeping in their own home anymore because of flashbacks of the horrific incident.

A traumatised Smit said he and his partner had just finished eating supper when the three men attacked.

“The three men pounced on us while we had finished eating and were watching TV.

One was pointing a firearm at us, one had a knife while the other one had a crowbar and they forced us to lie on the ground.”

He said the invaders tied their hands and legs up with wires then ransacked the house for valuables.

“The men went around searching the house and they took the phones, laptops, jewellery and food.”

He said the men demanded guns from them.

“When we told them we don’t have guns, they started kicking both of us in the stomach and head.”

He said the man armed with a gun was more aggressive and told them that he could kill them if he wanted to.

“It is not nice to have a gun pointed at your face as you see your life flashing before your eyes.”

Smit said they are traumatised and they spend most nights tossing and turning instead of sleeping.

Smit has bruises on his hands and Van Schalkwyk on the head from being kicked while on the floor.

“We were tied up for over an hour as they were turning the house upside down. They managed to tamper with the electric fence and broke the lock for the gate behind the house so they could gain entry in the house.”

He said he thanked God for being alive.

“Besides them taking everything we worked hard for, all my clothes and shoes, I am happy I’m still alive because material things can be replaced while you can’t replace life.”

Smit said now they are always on guard and every time he sees a shadow moving or hears a sound, he starts panicking.

He said the thieves locked them up in the house and left.

“Luckily, Adri managed to get loose and she untied me. I switched on the alarm and went out to ask for help from our neighbours who posted the message on the community group and within minutes the community came to our gate to assist us.”

Explaining how this ordeal has affected her emotionally, Van Schalkwyk burst into tears.

“I know we are lucky to be alive but, I say this incident should have not happened at all, why did it happen to us? Why did the thieves steal our joy of a new home?”

She said she was scared to be alone in the house as she felt like the invaders might come back to hurt them.

“I was kicked in my head and stomach. When he [man with gun] asked a question and I did not reply, he kicked me. When I replied again he kicked me and I ended up not knowing what to say to him because he kept on threatening to shoot us.”

She said the other two suspects were not aggressive and told them to co-operate to not get hurt.

The couple said this has been very straining for them and they will start seeing a therapist.

Smit said he will also get new safety measures to safeguard the house.

Tshwane district police spokesperson Warrant-Officer Johan van Dyk said the police are investigating an armed house robbery.

“The suspects searched the house and stole a Samsung TV, laptop, clothes, food, two cellphones and jewellery,” he said.

Van Dyk said no shot was fired.

He urged anyone with information regarding this incident to contact police or share it anonymously on the MySaps App.

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