Cricketer decries crime after mugging

South African batsman JP Duminy went onto Twitter last week warning people to be vigilant when visiting Parow clinic after his wife, Sue, and her grandmother were involved in a mugging outside the clinic on Thursday October 26.

Sue Duminy, of Plattekloof, said the incident happened at 2pm after fetching her 85-year-old grandmother Joey Oosthuizen’s medication.

We walked out of the clinic and saw a couple of guys loitering around. We didn’t think anything of it, but I continued to look around and clutch my bag in case anyone came up to us.

“Then a big guy, accompanied by a teenage boy, who looked about 14 years old, walked in the middle of us. They apologised, and they walked toward the clinic.”

Ms Duminy said she had been putting her grandmother’s walker into the boot when the teenage boy accosted the elderly woman, who was seated in the car.

“The boy started pulling and tugging at my grandmother’s gold chain. He grabbed her arm while doing this. Eventually the chain broke, and he ran off,” she said.

Ms Duminy then bolted after the teenager along Voortrekker Road for about 200m before he disappeared.

“I did not report the case to the police, but I told the four security guys outside of the clinic about what happened,” she said.

She said the security guards had told her crime was “completely out of control in Parow”.

“They said they could not keep up with the amount of incidents and muggings that occur in the area on a daily basis. I used to collect my grandmother’s medication on my own, and the security officers warned me that I should not do so. They said I should rather go with a man, a police officer or someone who could protect me.”

Ms Duminy said her grandmother is doing much better after the incident.

“We both went straight to Panorama Mediclinic after the mugging and assault. She had a triple bypass surgery recently, and I was concerned about her health.

“They did X-rays and a heart scan. She was quite traumatised after the initial shock kicked in. She even vomited as a result. The next day, her chest was full of bumps and bruises.”

Mr Duminy tweeted on Friday October 27: “There is no regard for age or gender. All they were doing was collecting her medication and a young boy attacked them. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries but her grandmother was a bit bruised up with a fractured arm.”

He added: “All for a cheap necklace” followed by three angry emoticons. “We live in a crazy world. Please be safe and stay alert out there people.”

Ms Duminy said they wanted to create awareness about crime in Parow and across the country.

“It’s so sad to see what is happening in South Africa. I always tell my husband that it’s not a case of if one will be raped or robbed in this country, it’s a case of when it will happen.”

Parow police spokesman Captain Kevin Williams could not confirm the incident, and questions Northern News sent to the City about security at the clinic were not answered before this edition went to print.