The man who attacked a local woman with a rock while she was jogging on a walkway between St James and Muizenberg is currently being detained. The community, however, fears he may soon be released and has come together to petition against his bail.
On August 4, a female jogger was left injured and bleeding when a man threw a rock at her while she was running along a walkway. Members of the community saw the incident and immediately took action, making a citizen’s arrest.
“The person that was attacked in this petition was me. A man attempted to murder me in public, in broad daylight. Fortunately, he has been detained for now. He is allegedly a repeat offender and is going to do this again unless we stop him. Please sign and share far and wide,” Angela Lindeque said in a Facebook post sharing the petition.
Angela was lucky to escape with her life as the man who attacked her was originally aiming for her head when he missed and hit her foot, immediately severing her Achilles tendon. A fellow running rushed to help after seeing the incident and the assailant threw a rock at her as well, which just missed her.
The attacker then made a second attempt to attack Angela while she was helpless on the floor. The jogger who came to help her called for help from passersby and thankfully brave civilians pursued the man and assisted in his arrest.
“The runner could have been anyone. Any Capetonian who has enjoyed a scenic walk or run over the years,” says the petition.
“This is the initial damage to my leg after the first surgery . I have undergone numerous surgeries so far. Due to the extreme trauma of the injury, I still have more to go. The prognosis at the moment is still uncertain,” said Angela in a Facebook post sharing the image of her injured leg.
Angela has had to undergo two surgeries to fix the extensive damage done to her leg and has two more ahead of her before she will be released from hospital. She will also require additional plastic surgery to complete the repairs.
“My Mother’s physical and emotional road to recovery is far from over,” says Kieran Lindeque, her son.
According to the petition, it is not the first time the attacker has been arrested and he is also a well-known perpetrator in the area.
“We have also been told due to his alleged mental instability that he has allegedly been released on previous charges as the state has ‘nowhere to put him, the facilities are all full’. This is frightening! Our families are no longer safe to enjoy our beautiful city. Every person has become a target. It needs to stop, and we, the people of Cape Town, have to stop it. The system is failing us,” says Kieran.
Pictures: Facebook