Maryna (69) and Paul (67) Scholtz fought back with a cricket bat and walking stick until the robbers managed to take the bat and walking stick from them. “And then I grabbed a broken bedpost and continued to hit at them,” said Maryna.
The couple was attacked on a farm on Zilkaatsnek around 23:00. “Paul was already asleep and I was busy on my phone in bed when I heard the electric fence make a strange sound. I peeped out the window and spotted someone lurking in the shadow of a tree outside the fence,” she said.
Maryna woke up her husband and the two went to investigate. “We unfortunately opened the door as we thought we were safe inside the electric fence around our house. There were two men and when they saw us, one cut the fence like a flash. We fled into the house, but they were directly behind us.”
Maryna grabbed a cricket bat and Paul a walking stick. “We fought side-by-side and hit at them as hard as we could.” However, the attackers managed to take the bat and stick from the couple and attacked them.
Both Paul and Maryna were repeatedly hit over the head and body. Maryna got hold of a broken bedpost and continued fighting. “We knew if we did not fight back, they would kill us,” Maryna said.
Paul also managed to get the walking stick back from one of the attackers and hit him on the knee. “The man buckled and then they fled with only a cellphone and a watch.”
Maryna screamed for help and tenants close to them came to their assistance. Afriforum neighbourhood watch and members of the community were on the scene soon after. A drone and tracking dogs were utilised, but the suspects could not be found.
Paul and Maryna both sustained head wounds and were treated by paramedics on the scene. “We are bruised and sore, but we are alive. The attackers did not say a word during the attack. They were extremely aggressive. I just know that if we did not fight back, we would be dead.”
Police are investigating a house robbery.
