The owner of Koyas Bar Lounge in Vleifontein, Ms Khensani Thovhakale (63), is still in critical condition after two armed suspects allegedly burst into her establishment on Wednesday, 19 April, started firing gunshots and robbed the place and all the customers of an undisclosed amount of cash. They then sped off in Thovhakale's Toyota Hilux GD6 Legend bakkie – taking her and one of her (male) workers as hostages.
A family member who did not want his name to be mentioned told Limpopo Mirror that Thovhakale and the worker were thrown onto the back of the bakkie. At one point they decided to jump off the moving vehicle but, while the worker managed to roll off the gravel road and run into the bushes, she was unable to escape. "The suspects allegedly reversed the bakkie, tied her up, and locked her up in the vehicle. She was then beaten, tortured, and stabbed, resulting in additional injuries, while the bakkie was travelling at high speed," the source said.
After 14 hours of distress for the family, the Lydenburg K-9 police team in Mpumalanga spotted the bakkie as it approached Lydenburg on 20 April, and a chase ensued. As the suspects fled, they drove onto a gravel road and abandoned the vehicle, leaving Thovhakale locked inside.
The badly injured woman was rushed to Lydenburg Hospital, from where she was transferred to a private hospital in Gauteng, where she is still in the intensive care unit, fighting for her life.
According to our source, members of the Lydenburg K-9 team performed a waylay during the chase and caught both suspects. One of them was apparently wearing a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) uniform. "Apparently, the one in the uniform failed to provide the police with a satisfactory explanation as to why he was wearing his full uniform while off-duty. What we don't understand, is that these men were apprehended by the Lydenburg K-9 team as suspects but later released for further investigation. We don't feel safe anymore," said the source.
The Limpopo police spokesperson, Lt Col Malesela Ledwaba, confirmed the incident. "We can confirm that the Bandelierkop Police have launched a manhunt for two suspects who allegedly committed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking. The case was opened for further investigation," he said.