GEORGE NEWS - New bruises pop up on his legs, arms and hips, and his Adam's apple is still tender. One of his eyes is shot red from a burst capillary. In a small private room at George Herald's office in Ring Road, Steven* breaks out in a sweat while he relives his ordeal from a week before.
He was ambushed, tied up and robbed by a group of men in an Airbnb in Dana Bay. What was supposed to be an evening full of romantic potential turned out to be a nightmare, which he was lucky to survive.
Knowing very well that he risks judgement from the broader community, Steven wants to warn other homosexual men of the lurking danger in online dating sites, by telling his story.
Steven broke up with his boyfriend three months ago and was ready to enter the dating scene.
"In hindsight, I should have known better," he said. "I've been chatting to this guy for three days, after we exchanged numbers on Grindr. It is a dating site for gay men. We've video called each other, and we both agreed to meet up. He said he was into construction, only in town for a short while, and was staying in an Airbnb in Dana Bay.
"My first impression was that he is a Zulu man from Joburg. He looked strong, younger than me, and like a sweet guy from the City of Gold.
"On Monday night, 20 November, I left my home in George at about 20:00. When I arrived, I did notice that the landlady was not too happy with my presence. She was standing on a balcony and I got the feeling that I was not the first guest who paid him a visit that day. In the living room I noticed six empty Savanna bottles. I walked around in the place to check out the other rooms.
"At some point he complimented me on my torso, and put his hands on my chest from behind. The next moment his arms were wrapped around my neck in a rear-neck choke. He started to strangle me. At the same moment, two strange men jumped from a double-door closet, and a struggle ensued. One grabbed my legs and the other my arms, preventing me from releasing the grip around my neck. One of them commented, 'He is a strong one.' At that point I realised I was most likely not their first victim."
Struggling to breathe
"The struggle went on for a while. I had difficulty to breathe, while I also tried to make noise as loud as possible - without much success," said Steven.
"The more I tried to cry out for help, the harder and longer I was choked. They told me if I didn't stop fighting back, they were going to kill me. I then gave up, while they gradually started tying my legs, hands and upper arms with shredded pillowcases and shoelaces.
"At some point they brought me water. I was forced to send cash through an online banking App to my own phone number. They took both my cellphones - one was my work phone. When I asked my 'date' if he is Zulu, he answered: 'Xhosa'. One of the men was lighter in colour.
"Before they left me on the floor they told me I was not allowed to free myself before 10 minutes have passed after they left. When I broke free, I noticed they had stolen my car too. I alerted the landlady, who was completely unaware of what was going on in the flat next to her home.
"The police in Kwanonqaba came to assist 45 minutes later. Everything felt so surreal. I arrived home at 02:00 on Tuesday morning. I couldn't remember my car's registration number, so that hampered the immediate search. I later borrowed a friend's phone and used an app to track my vehicle, which we found in Market Street, Mossel Bay.
"The keys to the Airbnb were still in the car, and the car keys next to the car. After all that happened, I am glad to be alive and have my car back."
From the balcony
She had a bad feeling about her house guests, said the owner of the Airbnb when asked about the incident. She too wants to stay anonymous.
"An hour before Steven arrived, they phoned me with a noise complaint. They wanted me to come to their room. I played dumb and said it's small frogs in the pond that are so noisy. They tried again, but I said they should just close the window. I am alone here during the day; I didn't want to take chances."
The landlady said it was not strange to have people stay for only one night. The fact that they didn't have their own transport also didn't alert her to trouble, because it often happens that guests arrive by taxi.
"What I did not like was the fact that two men - both white - came to visit them during their stay. The three men arrived in the afternoon, and their guests came on separate occasions afterwards. When Steven came, he was the third visitor.
"The three men told me they were here for a funeral, and called their first two guests colleagues. One of the guys came with a 4x4, and the other one with a scooter. He stopped, didn't even take his helmet off, and handed them a small package. I thought it might be drugs."
She said she is not worried about possible future incidents, and that it was the first time in the four years of their business that something like this happened. "I am not traumatised, just really upset about our one room that has been trashed," she said.
"I've been trying all week to find out the real identity of the perpetrators through Airbnb, because you have to give your identity when you register. It is an international company and the people I spoke to are of Eastern origin. They refuse to help me. I did provide camera footage to the police."
She said she did not hear Steven's screams from the main house, but only later heard him screaming on the CCTV footage.
No arrests
Southern Cape police spokesperson Sgt Chris Spies confirmed that the police in Kwanonqaba are investigating a case relating to the theft of a motor vehicle. No arrests have been made yet.
The police did not react to a question whether they are investigating a possible syndicate. Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators can call the investigation officer, Sergeant Vusumzi Ndala, on 044 606 5607/08.
Steven's tips for singletons
- Always tell a friend where you're going if you meet someone new
- Be careful of online dating sites, especially Grindr (according to Steven there have been similar incidents elsewhere in the country. The last one reported was of a Wits University student found unconscious in his hostel; seven arrests were made.)
- Make sure your cellphone is fully charged
- Rather meet in a public place, especially for a first meeting
* A pseudonym is used to protect the identity of the victim
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
