Wear white for shooting victim Dewald Beetge of Melville
As the community prepares to wear white on Tuesday, messages of hope continue to pour in.
The South Coast community continues to stand united in love and prayer for 21-year-old Dewald Beetge, who remains in hospital in a critical, but stable condition after a brutal shooting in Melville on October 15.
In a touching gesture of solidarity, family, friends and supporters across the country are invited to wear white on Tuesday, October 28 – Dewald’s 22nd birthday.
White represents hope, healing and faith – a symbol of the light surrounding him during his long road to recovery.
The initiative is spearheaded by Gladiator Security as Dewald and his father, Karel both work for the company.
Dedicated and hardworking, the father-and-son duo have committed their lives to safeguarding the northern suburbs.
Karel shared that Dewald underwent a sinus procedure this week, and doctors successfully removed blood clots.
He is expected to have a CT scan to assess whether the swelling and bleeding on his brain have improved. If his condition allows, doctors may begin to reduce sedation in the days ahead.
“Dewald is fighting as hard as humanly possible,” said Karel.
“The power of prayer is working, and we can see God’s hand over him every day. We ask everyone to keep praying for him and to wear white on his birthday as a sign of unity and faith.The wounds are healing miraculously fast.”
“Only his head wound is still leaking slightly because of the facial swelling. But he’s a fighter, so much so, that doctors have struggled to keep him under. A few days ago, when I said goodnight, he lifted his arm towards me.”
Dewald sustained five gunshots in the incident, to his chest, hip, thigh and head. Despite the severity of his injuries, his vital signs remain stable, and small movements during physiotherapy have given the family renewed hope.
“It is by the grace of God that he is still with us,” Karel said.
“We are so thankful for the love, prayers and support from everyone. Please continue to pray for Dewald’s full recovery.”
It is alleged that on the day of the attack, Dewald was returning home when he came across an intruder/s who opened fire. Dewald’s company firearm was stolen.
Glen Preston of Med-Evac treated Dewald on the scene, before he was airlifted to a Durban hospital, where he is being treated in the ICU surgery ward.
Since the incident, residents from Pumula and Hibberdene have held prayer vigils for his recovery.
No arrests have been made, and police are investigating a case of armed robbery.
Gladiator Security has also put up a R10 000 reward for any positive information.
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