WINDHOEK – The Day of the Elderly last week on Thursday turned out nasty for 74-year-old Jan Jacobs when his estranged son-in-law, Jacques van Wyk, landed the pensioner in custody following allegations of assault.
The senior citizen and owner of a smallholding, plot 219, some 35 kilometers outside of Windhoek, received a surprise visit from Van Wyk late on Thursday. Van Wyk is employed as a senior fireman at Hosea Kutako International Airport.
Recollecting his ordeal Jacobs narrated that Van Wyk and his sons apparently arrived at the farm armed with a camcorder video camera. Van Wyk’s sons then started filming their father while busy setting up a housing structure on a piece of Jacobs’ land, claiming it belonged to him.
When Jacobs confronted the invaders about their actions, his pleas fell on deaf ears with Van Wyk claiming he would finish what he came to do.
In the meantime, another son-in-law of the senior citizen, Davy Platt, arrived and saw what was happening. He tried to assist his father-in-law, but he (Platt) lost his temper and an altercation erupted among the three protagonists.
Platt however is now the accused number one in the matter and he and the elderly Jacobs each face a charge of causing grievous bodily harm to Van Wyk.
To the surprise of Platt, a heavily armed police contingent in three vehicles of the Task Force turned up on the farm late Thursday and arrested him minutes after the incident was reported by Van Wyk.
Police apparently refused to listen to the farm owner Jacobs’ side of the story and insisted that Platt be locked up as they continued searching for Jacobs, not knowing that the old man they were talking to was whom they were looking for to arrest.
When the police discovered that Jacobs was the accused being sought, initially unaware that he was among them, it was however too late to make an arrest as his lawyer had already secured his freedom on bail of N$1000, in the nick of time.
New Era was informed that Van Wyk last year already received an area of land from Jacobs for free as a present, which he later sold for around N$2 million.
It is understood Van Wyk in the meantime apparently spent the money and is now allegedly trying to make life difficult for his estranged in-laws.
Both accused appeared before magistrate Tuvoye Nuule on Monday. The case was postponed to November 22 to allow time for further investigations.
Also, a medical report was produced at the court proceedings to clarify the extent of the injuries to the plaintiff, but it is understood that Van Wyk was on duty as normal.
By Fifi Rhodes