Crime Has Not Left Us Unscarred…

Burundian Shadadi came to us at age 8, as an orphan from Burundi. We put him into school and managed to get a bursary for him at Wits Medical School. He now works as a Clinical Medical Practitioner at a hospital north of Pretoria. As we are the only home he has ever known, he still stays with us. On his way home, in early May, he was attacked by a gang at Pretoria station and lost his phone, money and bank cards. 

On Sunday, 5 May, Sudanese Charles was travelling from Malvern to Bedfordview with his friend.  Thugs blocked their vehicle on the way and demanded money. When the friend refused, they beat them both up badly, even shot his friend, who died from the fatal shooting. Charles survived but was left hugely injured and spent some time in hospital.

Also in early May, our Burundian,  Desire, was delivering for Uber Eats on the motor bike he had saved up to buy.  At an intersection, a gang of men attacked him, leaving him with very serious injuries, to his brain, ribs, lungs, back and with a deaf ear. In fact, he spent a full week in a coma in hospital, but survived, not without damaging consequences, and of course, the thugs stole his motor bike, his only source of income. 

All this happening to really good, peace-loving young people who are just trying to earn a living… Hard to understand…