A dream getaway to the Wild Coast in the former Transkei turned into a nightmare for a group of East London friends and their children after they came under attack by balaclava-clad gunmen who fired at their car.
However, they managed to escape and drive to a police station where they opened a case.
One of the two vehicles they were driving was riddled with bullet holes.
The incident took place along the Mdumbi Bridge near Coffee Bay on Saturday afternoon.
The group consisted of three married couples, five children, aged between four and 15, and two adult female friends.
Recounting the frightening attack on Monday, Dallas Diemieniet said they had booked into a cottage near the Mthatha River Mouth on Thursday and were supposed to return to East London on Monday.
“We left the cottage around 10am on Saturday and went to Lwandile [Beach in Ngqeleni].
“We were using two bakkies.
“We left the sea to go back to the cottage around 4.30pm and as the first bakkie was crossing the Mdumbi bridge, an armed man stepped out of the bush wearing a balaclava,” Diemieniet said.
“Everyone in the bakkie just ducked down but we managed to drive through.”
Diemieniet, who owns a cottage near the Mthatha River Mouth and has been to the area many times, was driving the second car, a Toyota Hilux double cab.
Inside were his 50-year-old wife, 15-year-old daughter and two female friends in their 40s.
He said when the vehicle was halfway across the bridge, two more men, also in balaclavas, appeared alongside the other man.
He estimated that they were about 25 to 30 metres away when they started shooting at his vehicle.
“They ran towards us shooting. I stopped and decided to reverse and managed to turn the car around.
“We drove straight to the Ngqeleni police station where we opened a case.
“They even offered a police car to escort us back to the cottage.
“We ended up packing our things and leaving early on Sunday.”
In a social media post, Diemieniet wrote: “Only quick thinking and crazy reversing skills got us out of there safely.
“A lifetime of wonderful memories of Transkei holidays are in tatters for many of us.
“So sad for the locals who desperately need the tourists. It is just not safe.”
He said the gunmen were carrying what looked like 9mm pistols while one was armed with a smaller gun.
The vehicle was hit four times, he said.
“I have heard rumours that people have been robbed and hijacked at the same spot.”
He said it was the perfect ambush spot as it was surrounded by overgrown grass and trees.
“We are thankful that everyone is safe and no-one was injured.
“Now we are dealing with post-traumatic stress,” he said, adding that they hoped the police could catch the attackers.
Nyandeni municipal bosses condemned the attack.
Mayor Viwe Ndamase said: “As the municipality, we made a commitment to assist our tourism SMMEs because we know the contribution of tourism to the economy.
“I want to make a clarion call to all members of the publicto protect our tourists.
“For every tourist who comes into our space there is a business which benefits, in both the formal and informal sector.”
The mayor called on law enforcement agencies to ensure the perpetrators were brought to book.
OR Tambo District Chamber of Business secretary-general Dr Andile Nontso said the number of tourists visiting isolated areas such as the Mthatha River Mouth were dwindling fast due to criminals who targeted tourists.
He warned that if nothing was done, many jobs could be lost in the tourism sector in the district.
Eastern Cape Chamber of Business president Vuyisile Ntlabati, meanwhile, called for more police visibility around tourism destinations.
He said the Wild Coast attracted a lot of international tourists and if security and infrastructure were not improved, it could prove disastrous.
“They [tourists] watch what is happening in these spaces. If they feel safe, they are likely to come back again.
“These are people who come here and spend a lot of money. Patrols along the Wild Coast should become a priority,” he said.
While attacks on tourists along the Wild Coast have been isolated, several have gained widespread attention.
In 2019, Karen Turner, a pregnant 31-year-old KwaZulu-Natal teacher was stabbed to death while sleeping at the Hluleka Nature Reserve in Ngqeleni along the Wild Coast while her husband, Matthew, was stabbed so badly in his stomach that doctors had to remove part of his intestines.
In 2014, a Wild Coast getaway to a popular Port St Johns backpackers turned into a nightmare when armed men reportedly gang-raped, robbed and shot at patrons.
The assailants were reportedly wearing masks and brandishing shotguns and knives.
One of the attackers, who was traced to a nearby tavern, was later shot in the leg and admitted to hospital after a gunfight between his gang and the police.
Police had not responded to questions by the time of publication.
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