Not only is Van der Linde a big man, but his home has several Allsound Security placards and an Allsound Security vehicle is parked alongside his own vehicle in the driveway of his Fisher Haven home. So, when he was woken by his mother-in-law at around 04:50 on Saturday, September 1 to be told that a man was trying to steal his car, he could hardly believe his ears.
"My mother-in-law told me that she has just seen a black man with dreadlocks around my car in the driveway," he says, and without a thought for his own safety, this 1.89m former Northern Transvaal rugby lock (and Toks van der Linde's cousin) took off down the stairs to confront the perpetrator.
"When I got to my car, I couldn't see him, but noticed that the sidegate was open, and went to investigate." That is when he noticed the suspect climbing the stairs towards the backdoor of the home. "I just know that God was looking out for me, because he [the suspect] didn't look around and saw me," he says. Once Van der Linde reached the verandah he noticed the perpetrator trying to force the locked backdoor using a screwdriver of approximately 25cm in length.
"I shouted, 'what do you think you're doing', before tackling him from behind." According to Van der Linde the man, who matched Van der Linde in size, fought back ferociously.
"He tried to stab me in the face, neck and chest with the screwdriver, but I pulled back every time."
Unfortunately the assailant managed to stab Van der Linde through the wrist but, with the adrenaline flowing, Van der Linde was still able to wrestle the suspect to the ground while calling to his wife, Sumelia to activate the panic button. "He was very very strong," says Van der Linde and he explains how the assailant tried to break free by trying to take off his hoody-top, which forced Van der Linde to push him to the ground and keep him down by putting his knee on his chest.
"Those two-and-a-half minutes before the Allsound response arrived were the longest two-and-a-half minutes in my life." he says.
Family traumatised
"Our 14-year-old daughter Chére, woke up when she heard her father running down the stairs and when she heard the scuffle outside she was convinced that the burglar was in the house," explains Sumelia, who is relying on her trauma counselling training to help her family cope with the obvious effects of the assault.
"Chére, who managed to activate the panic button, has been severely traumatised after watching her father fight for his life."
Only after Van der Linde had handed the assailant to the response personnel, a bystander showed him that he was bleeding. "My knees and elbows were grazed but I hadn't realised that my wrist had been stabbed. The screwdriver has damaged nerves in my wrist which means that I can't use some of my fingers anymore," he says.
Besides the wrist being severely damaged, Van der Linde has a badly broken right hand as well. On Tuesday, Septemer 4, Dr Michael Verrier operated on the broken hand. Van der Linde will need further surgery on the left hand in an attempt to repair the extensive damage caused by the screwdriver with which he was stabbed. In the meantime he also receives traction support for his neck, which was also injured during the attack.
According to Sumelia, the dreadful assault has strengthened their spiritual life. "We believe that God had been looking out for us, everything points to His hand having been over us. My mother decided to sleep over on Friday night, so that she could be with us for Victor's [the couple's one-year-old son] birthday the next day," she says.
According to her, she had tripped the perimetre alarm that afternoon, which set off a chiming sound. She explains how the alarm works. "If I had not done that, my mother would not have recognised the alarm when the man came into the yard. She heard the alarm and looked out the window and saw a black man at Corné's car and rushed to wake him."
The Van der Lindes' are convinced that God had woken the mother earlier and instructed her to pray and watch over the house in preparation of the attack.
The family is receiving ongoing trauma counselling to help them through this horrific event. "I am very very angry, I can't believe that somebody will try and break into my house to harm my family," says Van der Linde. "Since the attack he can't walk past any of us without touching or holding us," says Sumelia.
Van der Linde explains that he had visited the elderly couple who had been viciously attacked in their Riverglades home the previous weekend. "Until it happens to you, you can't really appreciate the extent of the damage such an attack has on people."
In closing the Van der Linde's says "We live in crazy times, and nobody can be safe without the help of God."
Perpetrator
"Cases of housebreaking with the intent to steal, and assault with the intent to commit grievous bodily harm were opened following the incident," confirms Constable Chirs Spies, Knysna SAPS liaison officer.
The 28-year-old suspect who, according to Van der Linde, had been paroled a mere 40 days before the assault, appeared in the Knysna Magistrate's Court on Monday, September 3. The case was postponed until Ocotber 15 for further investigation, but he will remain in custody.
Be aware
"While this incident had a positive outcome, we urge clients not to investigate anything suspicious on their own!" stresses Declan Nurse, Allsound Security general manager. "If you have someone on your property, please press you panic button [or phone the police] and allow our trained response officers to investigate or arrest the suspects. Please do not place yourselves in danger," Nurse emphasises.
Corné van der Linde needs extensive surgery to repair nerve damage caused by the screwdriver with which an assailant stabbed him.
ARTICLE: FRAN KIRSTEN, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD JOURNALIST
