Cops end gang boss's violent reign
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SOURCE: www.iol.co.za/
BY: Barbara Cole
As he lay dying from a robber's bullet, a man told his daughters how much he loved them.
Van den Berg, 38, was slain protecting his family, telling his teenage daughters as he lay bleeding on his bedroom floor: "Remember, I love you. Remember, I love you."
Van den Berg died in hospital hours later on Valentine's Day.
"He continued to tell his daughters in hospital that he loved them. The family are absolutely traumatised and the girls have not yet returned to school," said Eureka Olivier of the Bobbi Bear organisation, whose members went to the house to clean up the blood.
On Tuesday Dick van den Berg's devastated family, who are still in hiding from the gang, which has been terrorising Malvern, Chatsworth and Amanzimtoti, heard that police had killed the gang's leader in a shoot-out.
Exactly two weeks before the shoot-out, a gang broke into their home in the early hours of the morning, entering through the daughters' bedroom and holding a knife to the 13-year-old daughter's throat.
They demanded cellphones and money and when the scared girl began screaming, pleading with them to "please go away, please go away", her father, who was woken up, leapt out of bed and raced to the rescue.
But the door was locked and the angry Van den Berg yelled at the gang not to touch his children.
The alarm was going off, the girl was screaming and the gang could hear her father calling the police.
The housebreakers bolted, only to plan a return visit to take their revenge on the angry man who had threatened them.
The girls were so scared that they were sleeping on mattresses in their parents' bedroom.
In the meantime, Van den Berg took time off work as a diesel mechanic to put in burglar bars.
"But two windows had not been finished in time," said Olivier.
Then the gang returned, gaining entry through one of the unguarded windows.
During the invasion of the family's Amanzimtoti home, Van den Bergh managed to kill the gang member who shot him.
The traumatised family, who do not want their names disclosed to protect themselves, firmly believe that the murder was a revenge killing.
When the alarm went off, Van den Berg took his gun and walked down the passage, where he was confronted by the gang.
"The gang knew exactly where to go. They went to the main bedroom and went straight for him," said Olivier.
The gang pushed Van den Berg into the bedroom, then shot him in the stomach, hitting his lung and liver.
He managed to retaliate and fire back, while his screaming children hid under a table and his wife jumped on one man's back, pleading: "Don't kill my children."
The gang then shot at her, but missed.
She urged her daughters to hide in the bathroom, but they refused to leave their father, later telling him at the Prince Mshiyeni Hospital: "Don't die. Don't leave us."
Police have arrested a second suspect who is to appear in court on March 5 and on Tuesday they killed a third gang member who shot at them while resisting arrest. Police are still after a fourth suspect.
Senior police officers on Tuesday confirmed they were aware of Tuesday's breakthrough in the case.
A member of the housebreaking gang, Bongimusa Shabangu, 28, was determined not to surrender quietly when police arrived to arrest him.
Acting on a tip-off, the SAPS Organised Crime Unit, Operation Greed team - working with the police housebreaking unit - surrounded his house in KwaMakutha, near Amanzimtoti, early Tuesday morning.
When Shabangu realised the game was up, he opened fire and was shot in return. He died at the scene.
But, until the last member of the gang, which murdered Van den Berg, has also been tracked down, his wife and two daughters, aged 13 and 15, will remain in hiding.
They are too scared to stay on at the family's home in Athlone Park and have vowed never to return to the place where their devoted husband and father was gunned down in front of them.
SOURCE: www.iol.co.za/
BY: Barbara Cole
As he lay dying from a robber's bullet, a man told his daughters how much he loved them.
Van den Berg, 38, was slain protecting his family, telling his teenage daughters as he lay bleeding on his bedroom floor: "Remember, I love you. Remember, I love you."
Van den Berg died in hospital hours later on Valentine's Day.
"He continued to tell his daughters in hospital that he loved them. The family are absolutely traumatised and the girls have not yet returned to school," said Eureka Olivier of the Bobbi Bear organisation, whose members went to the house to clean up the blood.
On Tuesday Dick van den Berg's devastated family, who are still in hiding from the gang, which has been terrorising Malvern, Chatsworth and Amanzimtoti, heard that police had killed the gang's leader in a shoot-out.
Exactly two weeks before the shoot-out, a gang broke into their home in the early hours of the morning, entering through the daughters' bedroom and holding a knife to the 13-year-old daughter's throat.
They demanded cellphones and money and when the scared girl began screaming, pleading with them to "please go away, please go away", her father, who was woken up, leapt out of bed and raced to the rescue.
But the door was locked and the angry Van den Berg yelled at the gang not to touch his children.
The alarm was going off, the girl was screaming and the gang could hear her father calling the police.
The housebreakers bolted, only to plan a return visit to take their revenge on the angry man who had threatened them.
The girls were so scared that they were sleeping on mattresses in their parents' bedroom.
In the meantime, Van den Berg took time off work as a diesel mechanic to put in burglar bars.
"But two windows had not been finished in time," said Olivier.
Then the gang returned, gaining entry through one of the unguarded windows.
During the invasion of the family's Amanzimtoti home, Van den Bergh managed to kill the gang member who shot him.
The traumatised family, who do not want their names disclosed to protect themselves, firmly believe that the murder was a revenge killing.
When the alarm went off, Van den Berg took his gun and walked down the passage, where he was confronted by the gang.
"The gang knew exactly where to go. They went to the main bedroom and went straight for him," said Olivier.
The gang pushed Van den Berg into the bedroom, then shot him in the stomach, hitting his lung and liver.
He managed to retaliate and fire back, while his screaming children hid under a table and his wife jumped on one man's back, pleading: "Don't kill my children."
The gang then shot at her, but missed.
She urged her daughters to hide in the bathroom, but they refused to leave their father, later telling him at the Prince Mshiyeni Hospital: "Don't die. Don't leave us."
Police have arrested a second suspect who is to appear in court on March 5 and on Tuesday they killed a third gang member who shot at them while resisting arrest. Police are still after a fourth suspect.
Senior police officers on Tuesday confirmed they were aware of Tuesday's breakthrough in the case.
A member of the housebreaking gang, Bongimusa Shabangu, 28, was determined not to surrender quietly when police arrived to arrest him.
Acting on a tip-off, the SAPS Organised Crime Unit, Operation Greed team - working with the police housebreaking unit - surrounded his house in KwaMakutha, near Amanzimtoti, early Tuesday morning.
When Shabangu realised the game was up, he opened fire and was shot in return. He died at the scene.
But, until the last member of the gang, which murdered Van den Berg, has also been tracked down, his wife and two daughters, aged 13 and 15, will remain in hiding.
They are too scared to stay on at the family's home in Athlone Park and have vowed never to return to the place where their devoted husband and father was gunned down in front of them.
