Ronwille Jooste, 38, from Jamestown.
- A dad from Jamestown was shot dead in front of his family on Wednesday.
- He was gunned down during an armed robbery as he tried to protect his children.
- No one has been arrested.
A father was shot dead while standing in front of his children to protect them from an armed burglar.
Ronwille Jooste, 38, from Jamestown outside Stellenbosch, took his last breath in the foyer of his house, in front of his family, Netwerk24 reported on Friday.
The armed robber fled with only the family’s cellphones.
Arnold Okkers, Jooste’s cousin, on Thursday said that a masked man climbed through an open bedroom window and entered the house shortly after 19:00 on Wednesday.
He had a firearm.
In the house, the man held Jooste, his wife, Janine, their three children and his mother-in-law at gunpoint.
The man had already found a cellphone in a handbag in the room through which he had entered the house. He had it with him. According to Okkers, the man was looking for money and also demanded their cellphones.
However, there was no money in the house.
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He said the man threatened to shoot the children if they did not give him money or their cellphones.
“It was then that Ronwille stopped in front of the two boys.”
As the man fled through the front door, he fired and Jooste was hit.
“Janine and her family immediately ran to the neighbours across the road. One of the neighbours is a nurse. But he said there was nothing he could do. Ronwille was already dead.”
Jooste’s brother, Shane Jooste, on Thursday said he didn’t know what had happened.
Hospital
“I am currently in hospital with Covid-19. I’m still in the dark myself and was only informed that Ronwille had been shot after an attempted robbery at his home.”
Shane described his brother as a calm, quiet man.
“Any man could press his button at any time.”
Okkers confirmed this.
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“Ronwille really was a good person. He became involved in the Jamestown Food Drive during the lockdown and was present every day when we prepared and handed out food. He was still there Wednesday night when we handed out soup and helped wash the pots when we were done. We finished by 18:00.”
Jooste’s wife went to identify his body in Paarl on Thursday.
“I arranged for everyone to go for counselling on Friday. We have to support her and the children now,” he said.
No funeral arrangements have been made yet.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana, confirmed the incident. She said a murder case was being investigated, but no one had been arrested yet.
– Translated by Tammy Petersen
