Westenburg woman attacked and robbed on Lawton Road in Nirvana
What started as a usual morning run turned into a morning of terror for a 44-year-old woman from Westenburg who was attacked and robbed on Tuesday, 30 April.
POLOKWANE – The incident took place in Nirvana along Lawton Road at 05:20.
“I go for a run every morning, from Westenburg, over the Lawton Bridge into Nirvana to the N1 and back. The assault happened while I was on my way back to Westenburg from the N1. Along the route there are footpaths coming from the RBA houses, which is an extension of Westenburg, and just as I passed Nirvana Primary School an unknown man emerged from one of the footpaths.”
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She said the man had walked in her direction, but that she was not suspicious as he was neatly dressed. “He looked like he was on his way to work. It was only when he did not give way as I was almost close to him, that I realised something was wrong,” the woman explained.
The man pulled out a knife, she further explained, and wielded it in front of her. She screamed for help, but fellow runners and walkers were too far away to hear her, and at that time there was no traffic in Lawton Road.
“He stabbed me and I tried to block him with my arms, but it was not enough. He grazed my arm and stabbed me in the neck. I fell to the ground, and I then took out my cell phone, which I kept in an inside pocket by my chest to keep time and distance, and threw it at him. I pleaded with him to take the phone and leave me alone. He grabbed the phone, then miked at me (threatened to stab again) and ran off,” the woman said.
She quickly got up, shaken by what just happened, and walked home.
“I applied pressure to my neck to stop the bleeding until I got home, and a family member took me to hospital.”
The woman did not open a case. She told BONUS this was because she did not know the suspect and that by the time she got home or reported it to the police, her assailant would be long gone.
“I had a good look at him, and if I had to see him again, I would be able to identify him. I tried to warn others by posting a warning alert on social media and community chat platforms,” she said.
She advised people who walk or jog, especially in the morning or late at night, to be aware of their surroundings and if they spot a suspicious looking person, to instead go to the opposite side of the road or to move in another direction. “Keep some personal safety items with you like pepper spray and try to exercise in groups to avoid being a target.”
Col Maimele Pilusa, Westenburg Police Station Commander, explained that it is important to report a case to the nearest police station, since, even in cases where the victim does not know the suspect, the victim can still provide a description of the suspect.
Using the description, the police can then look for the suspect and when caught, the victim will have the opportunity to identify the suspect, he said.
“When people open cases, we as the police get to identify what the challenges are in our policing area and work on plans to curb these challenges to make our communities a safer place. If we do not know about it, we cannot do anything about it. Opening a case also puts out an alert, and keeps record on how long a suspect is being wanted,” Pilusa explained.
