Rescuer almost killed as boys in school uniform seize woman in Walmer
A HORRIFYING and brazen gang attack in broad daylight in which a young woman narrowly escaped possible rape and murder in Walmer, has led to the arrest of two Port Elizabeth schoolboys.
Traumatised victim Nasiphi Milisi, 22 – who said she believed she was going to die – was only saved thanks to the actions of a passing motorist who came to her rescue and was almost seriously wounded by one of a gang of four knife-wielding assailants who were all dressed in Walmer High School uniforms.
While two of the suspects – 17-year-old Grade 10s – are in custody, two are still on the run but are expected to be apprehended soon.
All four high school teenage suspects, who were bunking school, allegedly attacked Milisi as she was walking alone along busy Villiers Road at about 11am.
The passing motorist, William Smith, 43, witnessed the attack and attempted to ride over the attackers to free Milisi, who was being dragged into the bushes near the Walmer Woods golf driving range in Villiers Road.
Yesterday, a visibly distraught Milisi described the attack as a scene from a movie as the suspects – dressed in their Walmer High School uniforms – ambushed her at knifepoint and attempted to drag her into the nearby bushes.
“I thought I was going to die. I saw them following me while I was walking to work but because it is such a busy road you don’t think anyone would try to rob you.
“I became nervous when I looked behind me and saw the four split up, with two on either side of me,” a shocked Milisi said from the police station about an hour after the attack.
“They grabbed me and pulled out big knives threatening to kill me if I screamed. The one grabbed my handbag and the other held a knife, telling me to give my cellphone to him. They then grabbed me and tried to pull me into the nearby bushes. One of them also touched my privates parts. I was so shocked I couldn’t scream. I thought I was going to die.”
Smith saw the attack unfold and intervened.
“I saw the four youngsters when I left my house near 12th Avenue in Walmer this [yesterday] morning. They were hanging around one house in the road and there were two on each side of the road.
“I went back and parked my bakkie and walked towards them but they walked away.
“I then drove back down Villiers Road and saw them walking towards the woman near 11th Avenue.
“I drove past and as I passed them they attacked her. I made a U-turn in the road and drove onto the open field where they were attacking her.
“As they saw my bakkie coming they let her go and fled.”
Smith briefly stopped to see if Milisi was injured before chasing after the suspects.
“I then drove after them. The group split up in different directions but I was going for the one with a knife.
“The one guy tripped and I slammed on brakes and jumped out. As he got up his friend came to assist him. A fight ensued and they tried to stab me. I managed to push him away and the two ran off.”
Smith said he could have died in the attack. “It was very close,” he said, pointing at his chest where the knife sliced through his T-shirt.
Police arrived shortly after the attack and, together with Smith, went into the nearby Walmer Links development – the direction in which the suspects had fled.
“As we arrived there they recognised my bakkie and ran into the bushes. Two of them were caught but the other two managed to escape,” Smith said.
Milisi was on her way to work at Marcel’s Frozen Yoghurt in Walmer Park Shopping Centre when the attack took place. “I am just so grateful he [Smith] stopped to help me. I thought they were going to kill me and maybe even rape me. He saved my life.”
By 1.30pm, Walmer High School principal Lunga Dyani had been informed of the pupils’ arrest.
“I had to come and speak to both of them [Milisi and Smith] to tell them how sorry I am. These are my students and they should have been in school. The police came to the school to inform me so that we can contact their parents,” Dyani said.
Police spokeswoman Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg confirmed a case of robbery was under investigation.
“More charges could be brought against the suspects. Detectives will do a profiling of the suspects and only then will they be able to ascertain if there are any other cases they might be connected to,” she said. “A team of investigators is searching for the two suspects who managed to evade arrest.
“Leads are being followed up and we are confident that arrests will be made soon.”
The two other suspects will appear in a minors’ court on Monday.
-Gareth Wilson
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