John Stevens (64), was shot on Thursday July 9, 2015, during a robbery at the Spar in Kibler Park, Johannesburg, South Africa for R50.
“My father was my everything. I have always consulted him about everything, and our last phone conversation ended with him saying: ‘I love you, my child'”, Monica van Wyk said.
Van Wyk will remember this last conversation with her father forever.
Van Wyk is married to the music promoter, Louis van Wyk.
“My father went to the Spar at about 17:30 to buy soda for him and a box of custard for my grandmother. My grandfather died recently and my grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s, was living with him,” Van Wyk said.
“He left the Spar, went to Tops liquor store and when he took a bottle of whiskey from the shelf, nine robbers who were armed with AK-47 machine guns burst into the store.
“We can see on the footage how my father put his hands up, and offered his wallet to one of the robbers. They shot him anyway in the chest … and when he fell … the killer looked him in his eyes and shot him in the face … there was only R50 in his wallet,” Van Wyk said.
“He was a retired school principal, he had no money. But he was very rich in love – everyone loved him.”
Leon Schuster, entertainer, knew him well.
“He was a humble man. So gentle and down to earth. We are very shocked about the incident. We are living in an absolutely abnormal society. How is possible that such cruel people are roaming the streets. Someone who does not function normally shoots a person of that age for R50. It is unacceptable that a person should die in this manner,” Schuster said.
“We are powerless against the violence. We are only a handful – we should probably avoid supermarkets now.”
South Africa Today – South Africa News
