Robber dies in highway gun battle

ALL packed and ready to drive upcountry for his wedding, a Richards Bay resident was bound and gagged by four armed men who entered his Veldenvlei complex home at around 2.30am on Thursday.

What followed was 10 minutes of hectic action that ended in a police shootout and the death of one of the intruders.

‘I had slept in the downstairs room and my fiancé was upstairs,’ said victim Johan Oberholzer.

‘I had just finished packing the bakkie with all our wedding gear and was carrying the last item, a cooler box, when the men entered.

‘Three had pistols and one held a rusty knife to my head.

‘They grabbed whatever else was lying there and one went upstairs.

‘I heard my fiancé scream from the shower and I just kept praying to God.

‘Fortunately, the person said he would not harm her, and just took her phone, jewellery and the contents of her bag,’ said Johan.

Meanwhile, a neighbour who had heard the scream and came to help was also captured and tied up alongside Johan.

Others in the Morning Glades complex had sounded their burglar alarms to scare off the criminals.

The gang, who had cut through the back fence of the complex, left in Johan’s loaded double cab bakkie using his gate remote.

‘Fortunately my cell phone had been on charge and they missed it so I was able to call 10111 after getting my hands loose.

‘They answered promptly and took my details professionally.

‘I listened as they made contact with a police van that chased after my bakkie from the Brackenham robots.’

Another Richards Bay SAPS van blocked the R619 road from the front and was smashed into by the escaping vehicle close to the Nseleni/N2 turnoff.

The occupants and police exchanged numerous rounds of fire during the attempted escape and the bakkie left the road and landed in an open field.

Still firing, the suspects ran off but one was later found dead in the bushes.

Detectives believe the gang is linked to numerous armed robberies and vehicle thefts in the city.

‘I cannot praise the police enough for their amazing response,’ said Johan.

‘And I’m sure I am going to make the most interesting groom’s speech ever at our wedding in Nylstroom on Saturday!’