Narrow escape for man, 23, shot seven times in Timothy Valley attack

A Good Samaritan from Timothy Valley described the horror of finding a 23-year-old man in front of her house minutes after he had been shot multiple times early yesterday morning.

Rosey Richards said she had heard loud banging at her front door, the handle rattling and an indistinct voice crying out for help, just after midnight.

“He was shouting, but mumbling,” she said.

“I thought ‘ what the hell?’, stood up and tried to peek through my curtains to try to see what was going on.

“I was watching TV in the living room ... I couldn’t see anything, but the screaming just got louder and louder.”

The 56-year-old opened the door of her house in Jamaica Street and saw Alwyn Rensburg, his body full of bullet wounds.

“He said: ‘ Auntie, they shot me, Auntie they shot me’. It was a horrible feeling.”

“He said he had been shot four times in the stomach, once in the chest and twice in his legs ... he was very distraught.”

Richards said she had called 10111 and had been told by the dispatcher to stanch the bleeding while waiting for the police to arrive.

“I quickly ran back inside the house and fetched a blanket to patch up the wounds. At that point my neighbours were also outside and assisted.

“The neighbours said they actually heard the shots.”

Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said a case of attempted murder was being investigated.

At about 12.05am, SAPS Bethelsdorp responded to a complaint of a shooting in Angola Street, Timothy Valley,” she said.

“On arrival they were informed that the victim, 23, had run away after he was shot and collapsed in Jamaica Street, Timothy Valley.

“The members proceeded to Jamaica Street and the victim informed the members that he had been shot at by two suspects, who had then run away.”

The victim was taken to hospital.

The motive for the shooting was not immediately known.

Anti-crime lobby group Action Society community safety director Ian Cameron said crime was getting out of hand.

“It is no wonder we see a murder rate of 84 people per day, ” he said.

“Murderers know there will be no consequences for their brutal actions. What will it take for [police minister Bheki] Cele to hang up his hat or for President [Cyril] Ramaphosa to give him the boot?”

‘ He said: ‘ Auntie, they shot me, Auntie they shot me’. It was a horrible feeling’