The Rep 10 November 2017

Long journey to health still ahead
THE REPRESENTATIVE 10 November 2017 Tel: (045) 839-4040 Emergency: (A/H) 083-272-0955 ° Editorial: sonjar@timesmedia.co.za - advertising: charodinev@timesmedia.co.za 5
CHUX FOURIE
A KOMANI man who
has worked with his
hands all his life is
fighting to retain what
he can of the use of his
hand and arm after a
horrendous accident
which almost led to the
amputation of his arm
and might still render it
unable to work.
Andries van Pletzen
and his seven-year-old
daughter, Nikita, were
travelling towards
Komani on the road
near Lesseyton after
work in March when a
vehicle going in the
opposite direction hit a
black beast roaming on
the road.
As a result of the
collision, the animal
landed up in the lane in
which Van Pletzen was
travelling and his
vehicle collided with it.
Instinctively, Andries
put out his arm to
protect Nikita and that
is when his life and the
lives of his family
members changed
fo r e v e r.
He was rushed to
East London and
underwent 10-hour
surgery. However, his
arm was so severely
injured that the doctors
were not sure if he
would survive or if they
would be able to save
his arm, which would
possibly have to be
a m p u t at e d .
No answer yet in
case of fire truck
used to ‘fill pool’
THE Enoch Mgijima Local
Municipality has not yet divulged
any details on why a municipal fire
truck was allegedly being used at
night to fill up a Top Town
swimming pool.
The Rep reported on October 27
that a resident of Swartberg Road
had noticed the fire truck, which
was allegedly splashing water on to
the road, passing by his home on
repeated trips on the evening of
October 18 between 8pm and 10pm.
The man said he had followed the
truck, fearing a fire, but was told by
a resident that the water was being
Life sentence for
jewellery robber
A 41-YEAR-OLD man involved in an
armed robbery at Sterns jewellery
store in Komani in November last
year, was sentenced to life
imprisonment when he appeared in
the Grahamstown High Court.
Sibongiseni Ngcamu was
sentenced to 15 years on a charge
of armed robbery, seven years for
attempted murder, seven years for
possession of an unlicensed
firearm, five years for being in
possession of live ammunition and
life for murder. All the sentences are
to run concurrently.
Cluster commander Major General
Thembisile Patekile commended
Detective Sergeant Banele Jusayi
for his good work in ensuring the
For a man who had
worked for 23 years as
an automotive engineer,
this was devastating
news. How would he
ever be able to pick up
his little girl again? Yet
he says he would do the
same again in a
heartbeat to save her.
used to fill their swimming pool. At
the time, municipal spokesman
Fundile Feketshane said the public
safety directorate was investigating
the matter.
In a follow-up by The Rep this
week, Feketshane said the matter
was still under investigation and
that the local authority would “use
its own internal methods to
determine if there was any
wrongdoing or not”.
He said the matter was “sensitive
[at this stage] as we want to ensure
there is an objective process to be
fo l l o w e d ”.
conviction. The Rep reported
(“Suspect shot dead in jewellery
store robbery”, November 4 2016)
that a suspect was shot dead barely
minutes after a daring daylight
robbery at Sterns on the Chris Hani
Hexagon.
Three men were involved in the
robbery and had fired shots at the
police. Two suspects were shot. One
died on the scene and the other was
taken into custody, while one
managed to escape.
Red Guard Security, following
news of the robbery, cleared the
pavement of bystanders and
assisted in apprehending a suspect.
The stolen jewellery was
recovered. – Rep reporter
He survived the
surgery and the doctors
managed to save what
was left of his arm, but
it would require nerve
transplants and bone
fusion in order to give
him some function of
the arm. As the doctor
said, 10% function of his
own arm would be
better than 100%
function of a prosthesis.
He underwent
intensive physiotherapy
with “our special”
Frankie Hendricks in
Komani while waiting
for the surgery which
took place at the
Vincent Pallotti Hospital
in Cape Town last week.
Specialist Prof Michael
Solomon stretched and
moved Andries’s own
nerves in the 10-hour
procedure and
explained that nerves
grow by 1mm a day, so
he estimates it will take
six to nine months
before any definite
prognosis can be made.
Andries’ w i fe ,
Natasha, told The Rep,
“Although his lungs
collapsed because the
op took so long, he was
quickly stabilised, is in
good spirits and not in
any pain. For the next
six weeks it is crucial
that he does not move
the arm at all and next
year they might decide
that bone fusion and/or
elbow replacement is
necessary. We have had
amazing support from
both our employers and
the community.
“Yes, there is still a
long road ahead, but we
believe that we will
climb each mountain
together and never lose
faith or hope.”
Although their
medical aid does pay
for certain procedures,
there are many other
expenses and medical
bills they will have to
face themselves.
A fund has been
started: the Andries
Accident Fund, Capitec
Bank, account number
152 9601 264.
TIGHT-KNIT FAMILY: This picture of the Van
Pletzen family was taken by Pixel Perfect
Photography before the accident in which
Andries’s arm was severely injured. They are,
from left, wife Natasha, Andries, daughter
Leandri and, in front, little Nikita, who was with
him when the accident happened