Robbers strip land owner in Sundra of more than just belongings

When the robbers stole Bernie Gessing’s Ford Bantam bakkie, they drove off with his livelihood.

“This was an extremely hard blow. My vehicle contained all the tools I need to make a living,” explained this 55-year-old construction worker.

He was attacked when he caught four burglars in the act on his small holding in Modder East Orchards on March 18.
Gessing, a resident of Krugersdorp, was on the smallholding that night because of work in the Delmas area.

“My father used to care for the smallholding, but I took over after he moved into an old age home.”

The small holding yielded crops of onions and potatoes and before this robbery, Gessing even planned to plant a peach orchard.

“I was just waiting for a sign if I should invest more in this place,” he said.

The attack happened in the early morning after multiple burglar alarms went off. As Gessing stepped outside to investigate, his attackers shone a bright light into his eyes, and they ambushed him.

“Instinct made me run back to the container, but I struggled to drop the latch. A battle ensued, and they beat me repeatedly with a PVC pipe and a broken plastic chair,” Gessing recalled.

He ended up with a broken nose and bleeding profusely from cuts to his head and face.

“Eventually, one man told me to calm down. I surrendered, and the beating stopped. I realised they were in charge and I obeyed.”

Gessing admitted he constantly thought they would kill him that night. The robbers tied him up before loading most of his belongings onto the bakkie – including his bed, laptop and vehicle registration documents.

“I was stunned by the almost gentle manner in which these guys picked me up and carried me into the container before they took off in bakkie,” Gessing told Streeknews.

He easily freed himself and walked about 500m to his neighbours, Gys and Judith Taute.

“It was about 04:00 in the morning and their gate was wide open. I was almost too scared to go in – what if something had happened to them too?”

By this time, the Taute couple was just as worried. Their dogs were barking, and a camera revealed an open front gate.

“Suddenly, there was this figure crossing the road and heading straight to our front door,” said Judith.

She was shocked to see a bleeding Gessing on her doorstep. The Tautes contacted the relevant emergency services and Gessing’s wife, Christine.

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“This act of crime made a victim out of my entire family, not just me,” said Gessing.

“They are more traumatised than me. The stolen items directly affect my provision for my family,” explained Gessing.

He believes the government benefits financially from crime.

“We pay insurance tax so we pay tax when we replace goods and even if someone is murdered. The government gets a cut from their estate.”

Gessing sounded almost defeated as he told Streeknews he had no advice for someone in a similar situation.

“The robbers physically bound my hands and feet, but the country’s laws tied my hands even before the attack. Law-abiding citizens may not be proactive in stopping criminals in their tracks.

“They broke into my premises, but I would have been charged if I had shot one of these intruders before they could get to my property.”

According to him, another small holding was burgled a week before his attack. Gessing’s attack is part of a larger crime wave affecting the area.

Derek Bester, chairperson of the Bulldogs Neighbourhood Watch in Sundra, confirmed a group of four burglars are targeting small holdings.

He also reported recent cases of stock theft, copper theft, and a workshop burglary in the area. For Gessing, this was the ultimate sign – he would pack up and leave Modder East Orchards.

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