Update | 28 April:
Police are investigating a troubling incident involving members of the Fresh Start Cycling Club, after allegations surfaced that a driver knocked several young riders off their bicycles while travelling toward Red Hill last week, Cape {town} Etc reports.
The incident comes just two weeks after a heartfelt social media plea drew attention to the challenges faced by the club’s young cyclists, who are widely recognised in the Deep South for riding in their distinctive Rawson Properties kits on second-hand bicycles as they train along the peninsula’s roads.
According to posts shared by Lee-Ann Elliot and Michèle Viljoen Stuurman, the children were out riding when a man driving a white VW Citi Golf allegedly veered into them, causing multiple riders to fall.
While no serious physical injuries were reported, the emotional toll on the children has been significant.
The posts allege that after the incident, the driver threatened the group and drove over one of the bicycles before leaving the scene. In the chaos, one of the young riders reportedly threw a rock at the vehicle.
It is further alleged that the driver opened a case of malicious damage to property, while the children were unable to immediately open a case of their own.
However, in response to queries, police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that a malicious damage to property case has been registered and that the matter is under investigation.
‘The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. The cyclist was informed that he must come with a parent to register a case because he is underage, and an adult must be present when his/her statement is taken. No one was refused the opportunity to register a case,’ said Twigg.
Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or report anonymously through the MySAPS mobile application.
For the children of the Fresh Start Cycling Club, the loss goes beyond damaged equipment. One of the bicycles destroyed reportedly belonged to a promising young rider who had recently earned recognition at Killarney, making the incident particularly devastating.
The club’s members, many of whom come from communities affected by drugs and gangsterism, have turned to cycling as a disciplined path toward opportunity and hope. Their bicycles are more than transport — they represent focus, purpose and a safer future.
‘This makes me feel so helpless, as all I can do is try to share and ask you to step up and help if you can,’ Elliot wrote.
This outcry comes after a distressing incident last week in which a driver allegedly knocked several riders off their bicycles while travelling toward Red Hill, leaving them shaken and seeking community support.
In a heartfelt social media post shared by Lee-Ann Elliot and Michèle Viljoen Stuurman, the narrative unfolded of a seemingly random act of aggression against innocent children pursuing their passion for cycling.
‘I’m truly tired of posting these, but I woke up with a really distressing message from a follower asking for help!’ the post began, setting a tone of urgency and concern.
The post detailed the incident, describing how the young members of the Fresh Start Cycling Club, clad in their distinctive Rawson Properties kits, were cycling along the picturesque roads of the peninsula on their second-hand bicycles, symbols of their commitment to a brighter future.
‘A truly sad day when some dude in a white VW Citi Golf chose violence,’ the post lamented. The driver, instead of offering assistance, reportedly issued a chilling threat: ‘Next time I will kill all of you f***ing cyclists,’ before reversing over one of the children’s bicycles and driving away.
Fortunately, serious injuries were avoided, but the psychological impact on the children has been profound.
In an act of youthful defiance, one of the riders threw a rock at the car; an action that led to the driver filing charges of malicious damage to property against the child, while local law enforcement refused to take complaints from the riders, who were clearly the victims in this scenario.
‘Everyone in the Deep South knows the kids from the Fresh Start Cycling Club — riding in their Rawson Properties kit,’ said Elliot in her post.
‘But this could have ended very differently. They were millimetres away from another tragedy.’
It is particularly heartbreaking to note that the bike destroyed was not merely a mode of transport but represented opportunity, purpose, and the potential for a brighter future for the young cyclist whose talent had recently earned him recognition at Killarney.
Faced with rising violence and the realities of living in communities plagued by drug abuse and gangsterism, these children have chosen the path of discipline and sport as a means of escape. Their bicycles are not just vehicles; they are lifelines to a better life.
Having lost such an important asset, the young cyclists are now desperately appealing to their community for support as they prepare to return to their routines on Monday.
The emotional weight of this incident rippled through the community, prompting many to rally behind these young hopefuls. ‘This makes me feel so helpless, as all I can do is try to share and ask you to step up and help if you can,’ Elliot wrote.
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