UPDATE: The Scenic Drive speaks to 80-year-old Daleen van der Hoven after kidnapping and attack
Eighty-year-old Daleen van der Hoven from the Free State was attacked with an iron pipe and left for dead in sub-zero weather.
Earlier this month, Daleen van der Hoven from the Free State was brutally attacked with an iron pipe on her farm. Van der Hoven was beaten over the head in her bedroom where the attackers demanded money. She was then kidnapped in her own car.
Van der Hoven had to drive the last stretch of road herself because the kidnappers apparently struggled to drive the car.
Her attackers burnt her Audi, about 2.5km from where they had dropped her off.
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Van der Hoven was dropped off in Lesotho barefoot, wearing only her nightgown, where she sought help after crossing a piece of veld.
According to her children, she had to wait in the casualty ward of Life Rosepark Hospital for 17 hours after the attack. Medical staff first had to test her for Covid-19 before she could be admitted to the high-care unit of the hospital. Her doctors referred to her as the 'Iron Lady'.
Daleen van der Hoven joined the Scenic Drive to talk about the horrific incident.
"When they dropped me off, I decided to walk to a lady that lives in a veld. She protected me and took care of me."
"She immediately phoned my neighbour."
The Scenic Drive came in contact with one of her daughters, Lize.
"My mother is currently with me. She has been a farmer for her whole life. It's her life. We can't leave her in an old aged home. She is financially independent and manages her own farm. She's an iron lady," Lize.
"My mother wants to go back to the farm. It's her place. It's her life. It's her passion."
Her son and his wife also stay on the farm but was not at home during the night of the attack.
"There is an alarm system - but she wants to go back to take care of her animals."
The Scenic Drive team decided to help her mother by providing and installing lights around the farm.
Compliments from our friends at OFM, 4x50 Watt Floodlights will be installed on the farm, which is worth R6000.
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