During the recent July school holidays would be our son and his family (a wife and two sons, six and eight years old) went camping near Inhambane. The planned route was on Phalaborwa, the Kruger National Park, the Giriyondo border post in Limpopo Transfrontier Park, past Massingir, Chókwé, Chidenguele to Inhambane. The vehicle used for the journey undertaken is an old double cab 1999 Land Rover Defender, which was heavily loaded with a canoe and kampeerdinge on the roof.
They traveled very prosperous and Saturday night at Massingir slept. Anxious to get to their destination to get them early Sunday morning in case the road with a gravel road in a poor condition. My son last year in Mozambique and traveled are aware of the fact that one must carefully manage and always within the speed limit to keep. Nearby Chókwé them by one of the many rural villages ridden. For them, the road were two taxis parked in a concourse of people around the vehicles. The road, a woman has suddenly between two taxis ran down the side of the Landrover down. In an effort to avoid the accident our son was driving and the Landrover in a ditch beside the road ended. Fortunately, none of them injured.
A person describing himself as a lawyer has identified himself to the family represented. Meanwhile, the group of people gathered around the woman has become aggressive. The attorney intervened and the family's gratitude and trust when he won the noisy crowd could calm down. The woman was wrapped in a blanket of the family behind in a vehicle and taken to hospital. My son was later informed that she had died when she was at the hospital arrived. He could never get confirmed.
At the scene, police now arrived. The Landrover was pulled from the ditch beside the police station parking. Our son is locked in a cell which is already about 40 people. His wife and children, the rest of Sunday and spent the Landrover. A Zimbabwean farmer in the neighborhood farmer happened Monday morning, the family next to the police station and saw him have compassion on them. He gave them to his farm and took the rest of the week care. He was also one of his workers to our daughter's disposal to act as interpreter. We are very grateful to the farmer and ice to think that our daughter and grandchildren would be if he had not arrived yet.
Our son was on Sunday morning to Thursday afternoon in a locked cell, which is a dilapidated building is one room. There were no ablution facilities in the cell. Outside, a short distance from the cell is an open hole that serves as a toilet. The hole has a torn screen of hessian for which "privacy" must be provided. He had to sleep on the floor and said that was impossible to lie to someone without touching. During the week he had to constantly bribe money paid for everything: the blanket and pillow to get his wife took him, to the day before the "cell" could be put, the food which his wife took him, too. The food had to part with his guards. He said that they were hungry so obvious that he is not a problem had to do.
One of the people that were with our son was in the cell is a guy from South Africa. The man was already seven months in detention because he did not have the ability to bail that he imposed to get together. Due to the poor cell phone reception we first Monday of the family's hardship hearing. We immediately tried to contact the South African High Commission in Maputo in touch. Nobody, however, a phone for days we called together the answer to any of the six listed telephone numbers. A person in the office of Foreign Affairs, Pretoria, eventually, very reluctantly for our phone number from a member of the High Commission in Maputo given. The lady in Maputo told us that the type of incident in which our son and his family were involved actually very common, but they can do nothing for our children to help. We should just be patient and the law are letting go.
Although the court already on the Monday morning session down, there was no urgency to our son's bail application to be served. His first hearing late Wednesday afternoon served. His "lawyer" assured him that he (the lawyer) only managed it because he personally knows the magistrate. Deposit of R27, 000 was granted. His wife, with help from the farmer, could bail Thursday and get our son was released late Thursday afternoon. He was the attorney R5, 000 for his services. It took them the rest of Friday was taken to his vehicle to receive and again only after he had paid bribes. The total sum to bribe spent this week was a further R5, 000. The farmer helped the vehicle in such a condition that their ride was. They have the Saturday morning departure back to Johannesburg. According to a quote that he shall have a further R64, 000 cost to the Landrover completely roadworthy get.
Our son has yet to decide whether he is willing to return for trial.
I have during the week around trying to find information how we my son and family could assist. We are particularly indebted to the staff of SANParks in the Kruger National Park is stationed, who immediately offered assistance. Since the accident, however, beyond the Limpopo Transfrontier Park happened, they could do little except to make us morally to assist.
We have several sources from e-mails received interesting information. I put a few below, the names are withheld:
From a well known firm of Attorneys in Durban:
Hi, The story about kids being pushed into the path of oncoming traffic is true. I was told that story by a member of the group to Whom it happened. My Recollection is that it cost the driver of that vehicle some 25 000 USD but my memory may be faulty. The police take the view that it's the foreigners fault. The legal process is designed to extract as much financially for the victim as is possible and the lawyers Become Negotiators in this process. Your friends are in for a costly experience. It is one of the reasons I am Reluctant to travel to Mozambique.
Regards
Names with hero
From a SANParks staff member,
Hi, This is unfortunately not an Uncommon Occurrence and the regulations states that the person must be detailed until the legal proceedings are over. The only thing to be done is:
1 / Ensure you have 3rd party insurance (which Should Have been bought at park gates) Which will cover them for the 3rd party costs (eg the injured persons medical Bills etc) - They Should contact the 3rd some company ASAP to get wheels rolling thesis
2 / Be careful not to bribe if your hole gets deeper (you end up not being able to do anything Unless you produce money). Try to get permission to sleep in your car at night with the car parked in the police yard, that way you stay out of the cells where you do not have full control.
3 / They will need to get a lawyer to represent them to Mozambique and to get this concluded. Should this be done ASAP as the weekend is coming. I know a family from Tzaneen that went through the same ordeal last year and I suggest they make contact with them to get information about their lawyer's contacts and on what to do and what not to do - I will try find Their contact information and pass this on.
Kind Regards
Names with hero
From a friend in Pretoria
Hi, Friends of ours own a large 4x4 franchises in South Africa (LA Sport 4x4 Mega stores). They organic cross-border 4x4 tours, but have excluded from Mozambique Their itinerary Because of the Increase of incidents than the one your son was involved in. According to experience incidents like hun These are pre-planned with the specific fact sion to coerce money from travelers. With a lawyer always Arriving on the scene within minutes, one wonders Whether they do not initiate These incidences.
