Attempted bike jacking in East Londen

[Konaman]

I saw this in Daily Dispatch paper from East Londen - be careful around there!Its hectic

 

Gang robs rider of bike on road to EL airport

 

TWO East London cyclists chased a group of armed robbers after their bikes were taken on New Year’s Eve.

 

Brad Boonzaier and his friend Warwick Attree were training for Ironman early on Saturday morning when they were accosted next to Orange Grove informal settlement near East London Airport.

 

Recalling the incident yesterday, Boonzaier said that at around 6.30am he noticed two men at the side of the road. One of them tried to knock him off his bike by putting his foot out.

 

“At first I thought they were pedestrians and even when the one guy tried to knock me off, I thought nothing of it. I thought it was just two naughty youths,” said Boonzaier, who was cycling alone at that point.

 

Boonzaier said he then met up with Attree and after turning at Igoda bridge, the two cycled back together.

 

On their way back, Boonzaier was cycling about 10m behind Attree when four young men started attacking the first cyclist.

 

“They threw a rock at Warwick, which then made him crash. Then they hit him with pangas and took his bicycle,” Boonzaier explained.

 

Attree, who had a cut to his head, followed the young men into the township and to a shack. Boonzaier, fearing for the safety of his friend, cycled behind him.

 

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, Boonzaier said in hindsight it was perhaps a bad idea to follow the suspects.

 

“Going in there was not very wise. But Warwick went in there first and I did not think it would be good for him to be in there by himself. So I sort of went in there as backup,” said Boonzaier.

 

He said when he got to Attree, he found his bike at one of the shacks and the two of them immediately left the area.

 

When they arrived at the main road the four youths reappeared and attacked the cyclists.

 

Boonzaier said they started attacking them with rocks, pangas and planks until someone from the Airport Lodge yelled at them to stop. “They were really coming at us. I had to use my bike as a shield and, as a result, it has been damaged.”

 

The two then ran to the Lodge for safety. Boonzaier said despite the incident, he would not stop training on that road.

 

“The next time I use the road I will have to be armed. The road is safe traffic-wise and it is great for training so I will not stop using it.”

 

East London police spokesman Lieutenant-colonel Mtati Tana said police were called to the scene but no case was officially opened with them and no arrests had been made. — siyab@dispatch.co.za