As some of you may know, I was recently assaulted during a robbery while shooting an Earthy Acoustics video session in the bush outside of Windhoek Namibia, near Elezinheim farm.
I was hit in the face with a rock, or a brick, either way, I took a big knock. The criminals took the film company’s equipment and I was rushed off to hospital. According to Doctors Had the rock/brick been 1 cm higher I would be dead. The robbers made off with the film company’s equipment after nearly beating me to death, I was stabbed in the arm in an attempted murder and when I retaliated I was smashed in the face with a brick (I was blindsided) by a man I did not see coming.
We were 5 people in total, Riaan Smit, (me, Luca Hart, Renier De Bruyn, Laurent Hesemans, and Liberty Lister. Liberty most likely saved us all by getting me to stay down in my rage. We were all told to stay down, or they would kill us. They made off with everything but were nice enough to point out where they threw the car keys. I was rushed to ICU at the Windhoek Medi Clinic right away.
After the Doctors there saved my life, I was told to see a dentist as the x-rays pointed out that my teeth weren’t where they should be. The best dentist around Namibia happens to be like family to me, Chris De Chavonnes Vrugt, he checked me out free of charge and found the extent of the damage through further investigation. He noticed my upper jaw broken, and I have multiple fractures and I would need to under immediate facial reconstruction surgery. He connected me with a friend, fan, and the best man for the job SA has to offer, Dr. Gerrit Wyma.
He helped me in a flash as soon as I returned to Cape Town. At time of writing I have just undergone 4 hours of intense surgery, where Dr. Wyma worked himself into a sweat, listening to all 3 Crimson House albums to “Have my soul in the room” I needed plates put in, and my jaw re-aligned, I had pieces of broken bone floating about my cheek, and my sinuses are destroyed, and nerve damage to my lips. I was lucky, my operation seems to be successful. I will be going in for check-ups, and holding thumbs that I can get to my show on the 1st of December at Mercury in Cape Town.
The best news came a few days ago when I was informed by the Namibian Police when they told me they had recovered most of the stolen equipment (total value R500,000) and the police have caught 4 of the 5 suspects. They even got Luca Hart’s violin Back! The film company (Endemic Productions) now only has a loss of R100,000 (+-$7000). My medical bills, thus far, have amounted to around R20000 and climbing. The 4 shows I have had to cancel so far comes to around an R80000 loss, that’s not including the pre invested marketing budgets already spent on the promotion of the events and material purchased for the events.
The fact is that as a musician, I occasionally get a big fish weekend, or that event you have been planning for months, investing in, or simply, seasonal, this has knocked us all now during peak season. It is our most crucial time. Like farmers experiencing a fire during the harvest. I had to cancel shows which broke my heart, I was in tears for that, even while in the hospital bed in ICU on the night of the attack, I wanted to be on stage and give them the show they had bought tickets to, cash was returned in good faith the ticket holders.
My medical aid, being a hospital plan only covers so much, luckily for me it did get the bulk of the hospital bills, But I am still liable for a large amount. Through this entire experience, this whole horrible, traumatizing, experience, where I went through what I can with all heart say is the most traumatic incident of my life, I was in fear of my closest friends being hurt, and my closest friends saw me get hurt, I was nearly killed, I was bleeding out, and I survived, by love, by their love. And even now, days later, while I sit in the comfort of my home, I have not felt this much love in my entire life. It is so overwhelming it has had me in tears. I realized now life gave me a second chance, and also forced me to stop and smell the roses, stop and realize how high up the mountain I have climbed as I have been walking without looking back for so long.
When I received call after call, comment after comment, share after share, like after like and messages like you won’t believe, from hearts I met at different times, and different lives… you all reminded me of a moment I had lived, my life was flashing before my eyes, but not the fast spin you see in the movies, one by one, face by face, day by day. You all have reminded me of that second you touched my life, and made my life worth living. I really love you all so much. I have taken to social media to keep you all up to date, and in my latest post asking advice about what I can do to help me get out of this hole the universe put me in, or my own stupidity put me in, either way, I’m in it.
Let’s see if this helps fill my financial need, but my heart is full, and either way, I will be okay.
Thanks for lifting my spirits! Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
With love, respect, humility, Riaan Smit