SEDGEFIELD NEWS - A German tourist (60) who is currently on vacation in Sedgefield, Heike Scheider, endured a terrifying armed robbery and brief kidnapping last weekend while on a solo sightseeing trip in Ashton.
The incident resulted in the loss of R8 000, her iPhone 16 Pro, and her rented grey Hyundai i10, which was later set alight by the robber.
Scheider, an annual visitor to South Africa who bases herself in Sedgefield due to her affection for the area's climate, said the event was "like something out of a movie". Despite the trauma, she made it clear that the ordeal has not lessened her love for the country.
"I've been coming to Sedgefield for years, and I'm just in love with this place. This horrible experience hasn't changed my view at all because it could have happened to anyone," Scheider said in an exclusive interview with Knysna-Plett Herald.
Armed with gun
The incident unfolded after Scheider stopped her vehicle about 3km outside Ashton around 13:00 to admire mountain formations. She said she noticed an empty car nearby, but saw no one in the area.
Upon returning to her car, she spotted a "large black man" approaching rapidly. "I was just sitting in my car when he appeared out of nowhere. I quickly closed the windows, but I froze and couldn't start the car," she said.
The man, armed with a gun, tapped on the window and demanded she open it, threatening to break the glass. Fearing for her life, she complied. After getting in the car, he sat directly behind her, ordered her to drive and directed her to a neighbourhood in Ashton.
"He didn't say much at first, just told me to do as he said and nothing would happen. I could sense he had the capacity to carry out his threats. At that point, I knew I had no choice."
Money from ATM
As the ordeal unfolded, the man forced Scheider to withdraw money from an ATM. After requesting her pin number for the credit card, he changed his mind and, with the gun still pointed at her, ordered her to go to a Spar supermarket ATM.
"I was terrified. I didn't scream or run because I feared he would kill me. I quietly tried to ask for help from a woman at the ATM, but she just stared at me and drove off," Scheider recalled.
After withdrawing R5 000, the kidnapper grew angry and demanded more money. Scheider explained to him that her credit card had a limit, which seemed to calm him. But then he ordered her into the car's trunk.
"I thought this was it; that he was going to kill me and dump my corpse somewhere. But inside the trunk, I tried to keep calm and even spoke to him freely, begging him to release me now that he had what he wanted.
It was very dark in the trunk but there was a bit of light shining through which calmed my nerves. After a while he stopped the car and released me from the trunk and drove off in the Hyundai."
Car torched
Traumatised, Scheider managed to find a nearby path in the woods where she found a couple who drove her to the Ashton Police Station.
"I asked the officer to call my husband imme-diately, as he could track my phone. We were able to pinpoint the location, and the police found my phone about 11km away in Robertson. They also found my car around 16:00 the same day in Ashton, but he had already set it on fire," Scheider said.
According to Scheider, neighbours in the area had captured footage of the suspect setting the car alight with his back turned to them. This footage was handed over to the police. Firefighters were also called to the scene and managed to extinguish the blaze before the car exploded.
Fortunately, Scheider was able to recover her luggage from the trunk, which had been unda-maged by the flames. She also later found out that the robber had withdrawn an additional R3 000 from her account.
Scheider hopes that sharing her experience will raise awareness, especially during the busy holiday season. "Please be aware of your surroundings and be extra vigilant," she warned.
Wetern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed in a statement that Ashton Police have opened hijacking and kidnapping cases. No arrest has been made yet.
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