Survives #kidnap #torture: Steve van Staden 76 left for dead tied to a tree.
Survives kidnap, torture: 78-yo Afrikaner Steve van Staden kidnapped, left for dead tied to a tree.
WELKOM VistaNews Alet van der Walt reports: http://www.vistanews.co.za/175020/news-details/bejaarde-vir-dood-gelos -- Pic Tom de Wet --
2014-08-14 Injured Steve van Staden 78, told VistaNews from his hospital bed how he was kidnapped from Welkom on Monday, beaten up and tied to a tree in the veldt.
Grandson Travis Pieters and his wife Adri came to visit their granddad after his ordeal. Pic: Tom de Wet.
"A man who pretended to be a helpful municipal worker kidnapped the elderly Steve van Staden monday-afternoon in Welkom, assaulted him, and then left him behind for dead tied to a tree next to a mine-road near Virginia.
Mr Van Staden told of his nightmare experience on Monday from his hospital bed. The 78-year-old Afrikaner went to pay his traffic fine at the municipal offices in Virginia when a man, claiming to be municipal official, offered to take him to Welkom 'to get the fine reduced'.
However when they got there the Welkom office was closed. With Mr van Staden driving the man back to Virginia, the guy suggested a shortcut through the mine-property to offload him at Saaiplaas.
On the same road where Welkom businessman Tony Teixeira was also shot dead earlier, the man asked Van Staden to stop so he could take a leak.
That's when he turned around and demanded money from the old man. Van Staden handed him the R150 cash he had on him to pay the fine with - and then the man started assaulting him.
"My big fault probably was to fight back,' said van Staden. "He was big and strong. I could shield his blow and hit him in the face.
He pulled out a knife and beat me in the face with it. Fortunately it was blunt'.
Van Staden then was tied up by the man to a tree in the veldt. "It was cold that night and I thought I was going to die from it. I was incredibly happy after having been tied up for all those hours, to see
the sun come up and then see the security guys...'
Mr Van Staden's family immediately launched a search for him after he disappeared. His daughter Lolita de Coning spent all night driving around Virginia and Welkom searching for her dad.
Early Tuesday morning she spotted her dad's silver Camry in Harmony Road - and turned around, started following it.
The man driving the car stopped to offload a man and than took off at high speed with Lolita in hot pursuit.
In Saaiplaas at Monika Avenue the man started zig-zagging in front of her so that she could not pass him. However she persevered until he stopped on the sidewalk.
Another passenger of this car fled while the angry daughter confronted the driver. The man was 'arrogant,' she said and insisted it was his dad's car.
He suddenly turned around, jumped across a fence and disappeared. The police arrived due to Lolita's call and they took the car to Welkom for a forensic examination.
Meanwhile mine-security found Mr Van Staden at 11h00am tied up to a tree - to the great relief of the van Staden family, who were fearing the worst when their ailing dad - a diabetic with a heart-condition - had not been found by Monday evening.
He is being kept in hospital to monitor and correct his sugar-levels, and besides bruising and cuts he is otherwise unharmed.
http://www.vistanews.co.za/175020/news-details/bejaarde-vir-dood-gelos
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August 12 2014: survived: Missing Afrikaner pensioner Steve van Staden was found injured at a mine-dump in Welkom and rushed to the mediclinic. His condition and the circumstances are still unknown at this point. Daughter in law Mrs Marisa van Staden reported on Aug 11 2014 that her father-in-law Steve van Staden was missing from the ABSA bank in Welkom, as was his car reg DSD273FS, a grey silver Camry.
Further details will be posted later.
It is not known if his car has been located yet. A missing persons report was filed with the SAPS Welkom on Aug 11 2014.
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