South Africa Car Hire

Hoedspruit - "Help me, uncle," were the last words of six-year-old Erika Milleze Venter before she died in the arms of a colleague of her father, sergeant Flippie Venter, 34, who is accused of shooting her.

Her father allegedly earlier shot at her mother, Millie, and brother Janco, 4, with an R4-assault rifle at their house in the Drakensig suburb of the Hoedspruit air force base.

Colleagues of Venter, who is standing accused of murder and rape of a 14-year-old Burundese prostitute, were shocked and bitter about the incident that could have been prevented - in their opinion.

Although there was still no certainty about exactly what had happened that could have led to the tragedy, it seemed on Thursday as if the Venter had attended a function at the base. A lot of alcohol was apparently consumed at the event.

She danced with other men

Venter apparently fell asleep in the family's car at one stage. When he woke up, he was angry because his wife had danced with other men. An argument ensued, which continued after they had reached home, according to neighbours.

Police later on the same evening even noticed a bite mark on Venter's neck.

Mrs Venter was shot first. The bullet penetrated her body from the top, indicating that she had been seated and that the bullet was fired at her from an angle.

Venter then went outside, where the two children were playing on the lawn. Janco was shot first and he died instantly. Milleze, who was in Gr 1, was wounded while trying to run away from her father.

The neighbours, who heard the shots, called the police.

Tried to cut his wrists

Colleagues of Venter rushed Mrs Venter and the children to the medical quarters at the base, where medics tried to resuscitate Janco, but he had already died. Milleze died as she was being carried into the medical quarters. Apparently she had already lost too much blood. Mrs Venter's condition was stabilised before she was transferred to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria.

Mrs Venter was told about her children's death only in Pretoria. Her condition was stable on Thursday after she had undergone surgery during the night, said major Niko Allie, spokesperson for SA Military Health Services.

Venter had meanwhile phoned a family member before trying to cut his wrists with a knife, said superintendent Moatshe Ngoepe, spokesperson for Mopani police.

Venter, crying, was later treated for his wounds in the same medical quarters.

The R4 assault rifle was apparently issued to Venter for a shooting competition at the base. Venter is on bail pending the Burundi case.

The rifle and ammunition were issued to him, but apparently nobody checked whether he had handed it back in again. Neighbours said the Venters often had arguments. There was also talk of extramarital affairs and Mrs Venter had apparently threatened to leave her husband. The Burundi case further upset the family. Residents at the base said they were prohibited by the authorities to talk about the Burundi affair or the Venters.

"Flippie refused to go for psychological counselling following the murder in Burundi, because he was of the opinion that there was nothing wrong with him and just wanted to be left alone," said one resident. The air force didn't comment on Thursday. Venter will appear in the magistrate's court in Phalaborwa on Friday.



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Durban - Several chain stores in central Durban have been robbed on successive days as criminals become more brazen in the absence of striking security guards, according to a report on Wednesday.

The Daily News said staff who had been appointed makeshift security guards had been threatened, assaulted and stabbed in the attacks.

The effect of the security guard strike had also been felt at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) - where students have become regular victims of muggings.

In Pietermaritzburg, some businesses had shut down temporarily after repeated robberies.

Gang of women unleashing terror

In Durban, the notorious "A-Team" - a gang of women accompanied by a few men and named for their slick operation - had returned to unleash terror on businesses.

The team of about 30 women, aged between 25 and 45 years, all armed with knives, bursts into stores and help themselves to clothing and other items, while staff, overwhelmed by the sheer weight of numbers, could only stand and watch.

They usually made their get-away in waiting taxis.

'We don't stand a chance'

"We don't stand a chance against these criminals with the guards on strike - we are outnumbered by this A-Team," said the manager of Milady's in West Street, who did not want to be named.

The manager of Jet in West Street, who would also not be named, said: "A cashier who was stationed at the door last Tuesday was pulled outside and stabbed by a group of armed men thinking he was a security guard."

A Jet staff member, now stationed at the door, said he feared for his life.

"I am quite scared to stand at the door. It is not even my job, but I have to do it. We have turns to stand guard, but I feel that at any minute I am going to be attacked," he said.

'Situation escalating out of control'

A Milady's manager said: "We were hit on Tuesday and on Wednesday and there is nothing that we can do besides step aside."

Gus Brand, general manager of The Hub in West Street, said the store had been broken into on Tuesday morning and several units of stock had been taken.

"This is the second time in two weeks we have had a break-in and, with our daily shoplifting incidents, the situation is escalating out of control."

Students fearful

The university had also been hit by the strike, with recent increases in muggings, car thefts, burglaries at residences and even a case of rape being reported on one campus.

"The increase in crime on the campuses can be attributed to the nationwide security strike. The majority of our security guards are on strike," said university spokesperson David Sedumedi.

Several students have embarked on a stay-away from lectures and tests as they feared for their security, the Daily News reported.

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Johannesburg - A thief has safely returned a seven-week-old baby he found in a car he had stolen, in an incident that could have come straight out of the Oscar-winning movie, Tsotsi.

The man sped off in Olga Botha's car with baby son JP in the backseat on Friday after the mother had got out to open the gate to their home.

Botha alerted the police who reached the thief by phoning the mother's cellphone that was inside her handbag in the car.

"The suspect answered the phone and said he had been waiting for a call so he could say where the baby could be found," police spokesperson Paul Ramaloko told The Star newspaper.


The man told police he would leave the baby at a primary school where his parents later found him, fast asleep in a classroom.

"A thief with half a heart," is how the Bothas described the man.

South Africa bagged an Oscar for best foreign film in March for Tsotsi, the story of a 16-year-old thug who finds a baby in the backseat of a car he has hijacked.

After first taking care of the baby himself and becoming attached to him, he decides to take the baby back to his parents and face the wrath of the law.

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Durban - Two young men, suspected of being responsible for several attacks on beaches along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, were arrested this weekend after an attack on three foreign visitors.

All available police officers searched for the two suspects this weekend, after Andrea Cogomo, 30, his sister, Luisa, 29, and his girlfriend, Maria Martinez, 33, were attacked on Friday afternoon at the deserted Palm Beach near Port Edward.

The Cogomos are originally from Vereeniging, but now work in Britain, and Martinez comes from Spain.

In a furious struggle with the attackers, Martinez was stabbed in the thigh with a broken beer bottle and the Cogomos' hands and arms were cut when they resisted.

The attack comes after the murder of West Rand teenager Kalin Jooste, 16, during the December school holidays in Margate had international repercussions for the tourism industry on the South Coast.

Men fled with R50

Superintendent Zandra Hechter said the three were packing up their things just before 14:00 on the beach when the two attackers walked up and threatened them with a broken beer bottle.

Cogomo had been fishing from the rocks in the morning while his sister and girlfriend took photos.

The holidaymakers gave the two men R50 in cash, but resisted when the thieves also wanted the camera.

After the thieves fled with the money, the visitors drove to their hotel and phoned the police, said Hechter.

She added that the area chief of the South Coast police, assistant commissioner Frank Holloway, was told immediately about the attack and all available police helped in the large-scale search.

Hechter said Holloway regarded attacks like this in a serious light because he believed every attacker was a potential murderer or rapist.

Identity parade

The two 19-year-olds were arrested in the same house in the Nkulu area near Port Edward on Sunday about 05:30.

A cap that might be linked to one of several attacks on beaches at Palm Beach and Munster apparently was found with the suspects.

Police were to hold an identity parade on Monday and the two men were expected to appear on Tuesday in Ramsgate magistrate's court on charges of robbery and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

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