Page 11 - 14 November 2025

THE REPORTER 14 NOVEMBER 2025 · PAGE 11

The truck dropped into the going through our minds.
ditch with a jolt that rattled Sorry, let me correct myself,
everything not screwed what was going through
down, and a few things that Raampie’s mind. I am
were. My head smacked the innocent. Mostly. Why was
roof with a hollow DONK I that funny. Why risk tetanus,
c a n s t i l l r e m e m b e r. concussions, possible
Raampie’s head almost went underwear loss, and one
straight through it. Leon, furious father just to see if MAN ARRESTED WITH
outside on the running barbed wire would grab
board, performed, I swear, a denim. UNLICENSED
somersault of sorts, legs FIREARM IN STERKSPRUIT
Teenage Logic, Barbed flying and hanging onto the Because teenage boys are
powered by curiosity, adre-
Wire, and the Chev door like his life depended naline, and bad judgement. Members continuous efforts with one empty magazine
on it. to prevent and eradicate the were confiscated.
Bet you cannot is a complete
Sometimes I sit back and Smoothness breeds bore- The Chev bucked, dust philosophy. Watch this is a proliferation of unlicensed The 20 year old suspect was
wonder about teenage boys. dom, and boredom breeds exploded, and the world mission statement. firearms, yielded successful arrested and will appear in
More specifically, what goes bright ideas. We were shook. over the weekend in the Sterkspruit magistrate
on inside their heads. I have heading back along the Every time I see barbed wire Sterkspruit. court on the charge of the
concluded that, somewhere gravel road when Leon, a Then silence. fencing along a dusty farm On the 1st of November possession of an unlicensed
between fourteen and dorps jaapie like me and Three teenage boys froze. road, I think of that Chev’s 2025 at 19: 15 the SAPS firearm.
seventeen, a switch quietly therefore under pressure to Nobody spoke. We waited running boards, the ditch, received a complaint from
flips to the OFF position. prove he was not scared of for the sound of falling parts and the hollow sound of my Sunduza Village where the The Joe Gqabi District Com-
Sensible thinking takes farm fun, decided to climb or distant shouting. skull on the roof. I still picture complainant had a quarrel missioner Major General
leave, common sense out and stand on the running The Chev just kept idling, Leon’s pale face and white with his shepherd. On the Lindelwa Vellem commen-
wanders off, and we are left board while we were driving. almost bored, as if to say, is knuckles as he clung to the SAPS arrival they were ded the members on the
with dirt roads, bad ideas, Why, there was no why. that all you have got. door like his future directed to the shepherd's swift reaction that led to the
and the belief that nothing Teenage logic does not depended on it. Because house that was searched. arrest and confiscation of
bad will happen because it operate on reasons, only We climbed out and honestly, it probably did. the firearm before it could be
has not happened yet. inspected the damage. Looking back now, older and Upon searching the house, a used in the commission of a
opportunities. There was none. Not to the 9mm parabellum firearm crime.
When we were about fifteen, He held onto the door with truck, anyway. Our pride only marginally wiser, I shake
my friend Raampie lived on a one hand, leaning out like an took a solid dent, but my head and wonder how we
farm out New England way. action hero in a movie, dust mechanically everything was made it to adulthood at all.
Ou Baas Raampie had two in his eyes, insects in his holding. Old farm bakkies Out Barkly East way, I reckon
bakkies. One was a Hino that teeth. And then, for reasons those days were built from the country kids probably
was slower than a cow with known only to the chaos metal, rust, and stubborn- still get up to this kind of
gout. It was not so much living inside his head, ness. nonsense, hanging off
driven as politely encou- Raampie decided it would be bakkies and dodging barbed
raged. The other was a Chev funny to see how close he Leon climbed back inside wire for entertainment. But
truck with proper power, could drive to the barbed without a word and slammed for us city folk these days, we
proper character, running wire fencing that bordered the door with the kind of would panic, fire off Whats-
boards down the sides, and it the road. His plan was to try finality usually reserved for Apps, and follow behind at
was three on the tree, which and snag the backside of relationship break ups and twenty five kilometres an
meant selecting the correct Leon’s shorts on the barbs. court rulings. hour shouting safety
gear needed the guidance of We continued home in instructions out the window
angels, patience, and a bit of I sat in the passenger seat, complete silence, which for like helicopter parents.
luck. watching barbed wire boys our age was unheard As for Leon, sadly he is no
drifting closer and closer to longer with us, and I know he
Every now and then we were Leon’s rear end. At fifteen, of. I do not think anyone
sent to Oom Willie van this was the height of breathed until we rolled into would still not think it funny.
Rensburgs shop at the New comedy. We were laughing the yard. But I still do, and Raampie,
England station to fetch or so much our ribs hurt. If you Years later I still think about believe it or not, went on to
deliver something. Nobody are older than eighteen and that moment. What was become a doctor.
ever told us what we were still laughing at that, it
collecting, because it did not means your brain never fully
matter; you got handed recovered either.
keys, nodded like you
understood, and left. On the Now, the divisional council
farm, the legal driving age used to run graders along
was whatever your father the road edges to make
said was okay. Most farm small ditches for rainwater.
boys could drive tractors, Sensible engineering. Not so
bakkies, motorbikes, and sensible when your driver’s
each other mad long before attention is fixed on shaving
sixteen. cotton shorts against sharp
steel, trying not to scratch
On this particular day, the
mission went smoothly. his father’s truck, and not
Looking back now, that was watching the road.
probably the danger. And then it happened.