Rousseau robbed in Soweto (26 November 1998)

26 November 1998

Rousseau robbed in Soweto

Tony Cozier

The ill-starred West Indies cricket tour of South Africa endured another disturbing episode here yesterday when West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Pat Rousseau, his wife and Jamaica Gleaner sports editor Tony Becca were robbed by armed bandits during a visit to the black township of Soweto.

The three, who had arrived in Johannesburg on Monday, had been taken to the Soweto Cricket Club by United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) official Walter Mosa and were returning to his car when they were held up by three men in the car park.

They were forced to lie on the ground while they were relieved of watches, jewellery, Becca's camera and Mrs Rousseau's handbag.

They then endured what Becca described as "a terrifying few minutes" when they were ordered back to the club house and stood up against a wall to face their attackers.

"It was then that I saw St Peter," Becca said later. "We had two young lads from the club who were with us, showing us around, and the gunmen ordered them outside. I thought that was it. But when they asked for the car keys and Walter gave them up, two of them went outside to start the car. As they got it going, the other gunman backed out and left us there."

"I can tell you, we were all shaking but it was a great relief that no one was physically hurt," Becca said. A veteran and respected writer on the game who has covered cricket all over the world since 1973, Becca previously visited Soweto in 1991 during the formation of the UCBSA, Becca said the police arrived "within minutes" while Dr.Ali Bacher, chief executive of the UCBSA, telephoned soon after that. Imtiaz Patel, a director of the UCBSA, then arrived at the police station to lend assistance.

Rousseau and Becca were last night being interviewed by Johannesburg police and providing statements. But no arrest had yet been made.

"At least, no physical harm was done but it was not something I'd want to go through again," Becca said.

The incident followed the tense, prolonged negotiations in London between players and board over pay and conditions that delayed the tour and in which Rousseau was intimately involved and the subsequent injuries that have put left-hand all-rounder Jimmy Adams and leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine out of the tour.

It came on the eve of the historic first Test, the first between the teams in South Africa, at which Rousseau will be a specially invited guest of the UCBSA.

Johannesburg has developed the reputation as one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world in recent years and attacks such as yesterday's have become common-place. In most cases, police report the theft of cars is the motive.

Almost at the same time as the Rousseaus, Becca and their host were being held up in Soweto, the wife of the cricket writer of The Star newspaper of Johannesburg, Guy Hawthorn, was held up while dropping his children to school by men who stole her car.

Last year, Pakistani cricketers Saqlain Mushtaq and Mohammed Akram alleged they had been mugged near their Johannesburg hotel and the First Test put back by a day. UCBSA officials later cast doubts on the charge.

Source :: The Trinidad Express (https://www.trinidad.net/express/)