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News that a Centurion teenager allegedly brutally assaulted his parents with a knife and golf club has deeply shocked Dries and Bronwyn Jordaan, a couple who regularly took care of the youngster.
When Bronwyn took a call from Ruan van Heerden (18) on 6 January, she thought nothing of it. But little did she and Dries know that on 10 January, late at night, the teen would attack his parents, Barnie (54) and Magda (49) at their home in Pierre van Ryneveld in Centurion.
Magda was rushed to Milpark hospital in Johannesburg by helicopter with multiple stab wounds and is recovering in the intensive care unit. Barnie was treated for an arm injury but has been discharged from hospital.
“He called my wife Mom,” Dries says. The couple used to live in Centurion but has in the meantime moved to Hoedspruit. “We’re python breeders,” Dries reveals. “At one point Ruan also bought some of these snakes from us intending to breed with them, but he got into trouble regularly and would let them die all the time.”
He says they’re deeply shocked about what’s happened. “It could easily have been us. He visited us very often,” Dries says.
Ruan apparently spent a year in rehab at De Aar before returning to his parents’ in December 2019. Dries claims that Ruan’s mom Magda gave her son a hard time about his drug addiction. “Once she found white powder in his trousers pocket. I don’t know whether it was cocaine or CAT. We’re really deeply shocked about events. His parents are very good people.”
After the attack, Ruan reportedly took off with his father’s car. It was found abandoned in Thembisa on the East Rand. He apparently then took an Uber taxi and was apprehended 600 km away in Aliwal North, Eastern Cape.
According to Stiaan Bekker, Barnie’s business partner, the couple are recovering well but at this stage they don’t intend giving any media interviews.
