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VEREENIGING. – Skaars twee jaar nadat twee jong meisies hul ma weens siekte aan die dood moes afstaan, het hulle verlede Saterdag ook hul pa, mnr. Neil Toye (55) in tragiese omstandighede verloor.

Mnr. Toye, ‘n bekende inwoner van Vereeniging, is in die vroeë oggendure van Saterdag, 8 Oktober, deur rowers in sy huis in Arconpark oorval en vermoor.

‘n Buurman het die oggend onraad vermoed toe hy sien dat die motorhuisdeure en hek van mnr. Toye se huis in Cameliastraat, Arconpark, oopstaan. Sy bakkie was weg en sy foon afgeskakel.

Die bekommerde buurman het ‘n vriend van mnr. Toye gebel, wat op sy beurt met mnr. Trevor Toye, Neil se broer, in verbinding getree het. Trevor het dadelik vanaf sy huis in Meyerton na Arconpark gery om ondersoek in te stel.

“Toe ek by Neil se huis kom, kon ek deur ‘n venster sien dat daar klere in die gang lê. Die veiligheidshek by die voordeur was gesluit maar die deur was oop, met die sleutels aan die binnekant. Ek het daarin geslaag om die sleutels raak te vat en die veiligheidshek oop te sluit.

“Ek het ingegaan en op Neil se liggaam in die gang afgekom. Sy hande en voete was vasgebind. Ek het dadelik besef hy was klaar weg. Sekuriteit Sonder Grense het in daardie stadium by die huis opgedaag en die toneel afgesper,” sê Trevor, wat soos die res van die Toye-familie platgeslaan is deur die tragedie.

Die presiese oorsaak van Neil se dood is tydens ‘n post mortem bepaal, maar nog nie amptelik aan Vaalweekblad bekend gemaak nie.

“Hoewel Neil nie ‘n kliënt van Sekuriteit Sonder Grense was nie, het hulle ‘n uitstekende diens gelewer. Hulle het die polisie ontbied en met alles gehelp. ‘n Private ambulansdiens sowel as die polisie was vinnig op die toneel en die forensiese span het die huis dadelik begin fynkam vir vingerafdrukke,” sê Trevor.

Neil se kamer en ‘n kas in die gang is onder meer geplunder. Sy kluis is met die kluissleutels oopgesluit en vuurwapens wat daarin toegesluit was, word vermis. Die rowers het ook sy skootrekenaar en ‘n horlosieversameling gesteel.

Die aanval het vermoedelik tussen 01:00 en 05:00 Saterdagoggend plaasgevind. Sekuriteitskameras in die gebied toon dat die rowers in Neil se wit Corsa-bakkie van die toneel af weggery en Arconpark omstreeks 05:00 verlaat het. Niemand is tot dusver in verband met die voorval aangekeer nie.

Neil, wat ‘n instrumenttegnikus by Sasol se chlooraanleg was, het sedert die dood van sy vrou Shelly in 2020, alleen in die huis gewoon terwyl hul twee dogters aan die Rand studeer.

“Neil was ‘n baie liefdevolle mens met ‘n uitgaande persoonlikheid. Hy was mal daaroor om sy motorfietse te ry. Ek dink hy het seker die helfte van Vereeniging se mense geken. Ons gaan hom baie mis,” sê Trevor.

Buiten sy 22- en 25-jarige dogters (wie se name op versoek weerhou word) en Trevor, word Neil deur nog ‘n broer, Ian, oorleef.

Sy gedenkdiens is Saterdag, 15 Oktober by Word of Life in Zeastraat 62, Arconpark, gehou.

Well-known resident killed by house robbers in peaceful neighborhood

VEREEENIGING. – Barely two years after two young adult sisters had lost their mother due to illness, last week they also lost their father, Mr. Neil Toye (55) in tragic circumstances.

Mr. Toye, a well-known Vereeniging resident, was attacked and killed by robbers in his house in Arconpark in the early hours of Saturday, 8 October.

A neighbor saw that morning that the garage doors and gate of Mr. Toye’s house in Camelia Street, Arconpark, were open. His bakkie (pick-up truck) was gone and his phone switched off. The concerned neighbor called a friend of Mr. Toye, who in turn got in touch with Mr. Trevor Toye, Neil’s brother. Trevor immediately drove from his home in Meyerton to Arconpark to investigate.

“When I got to Neil’s house, I could see through a window that there were clothes scattered in the passage. The security gate at the front door was locked but the door was open, with the keys inside. I managed to get hold of the keys and unlock the security gate. I went in and came across Neil’s body in the passage. His hands and feet were tied. I immediately realized he had already passed on. Sekuriteit Sonder Grense (Security Without Borders) arrived at the house at that stage and cordoned off the scene,” says Trevor, who like the rest of the Toye family is devastated by the tragedy.

“Although Neil was not a client of Security Without Borders, they provided an excellent service. They called the police and helped with everything. A private ambulance service as well as the police were quickly on the scene and the forensic team immediately began dusting the house for fingerprints,” says Trevor.
Neil’s room and a cupboard in the corridor were looted. His safe was unlocked with the safe keys and firearms had been stolen, as well as his laptop and a watch collection.

The attack is believed to have taken place between 01:00 and 05:00 on Saturday morning. Security cameras in the area show that the robbers drove away from the scene in Neil’s white Corsa bakkie and left Arconpark around 05:00. No one has been arrested so far.

Neil, who was an instrument technician at Sasol’s chlorine plant, has lived alone in the house since the death of his wife Shelly in 2020, while their two daughters were studying in Johannesburg.

“Neil was a very outgoing, fun loving person and loved riding his motor cycles. I think he probably knew half of Vereeniging. We will miss him dearly,” says Trevor.

Besides his daughters, aged 22 and 25 (their names are withheld on request), and Trevor, Neil is survived by another brother, Ian.
His memorial service was held on Saturday, October 15 at Word of Life Church at 62 Zea Street, Arconpark.

The late Mr Neil Toye.

Vaalweekblad’s deepest condolences to Neil’s Family and Friends :-( 

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