John Clarke Perks

John Clarke Perks (1932 - 2005)

Brief overview:

John (72), was shot and seriously wounded while travelling on the Umgazi River holiday resort gravel road, when the convoy he was travelling with came under fire during an ambush on 31st May 2005. He passed away in hospital nine days later on 9th June. Friend Cynthia Dobrowsky (71), was shot through the windscreen of the vehicle her husband Dick (74), was driving. Cynthia collapsed in the front seat and died instantly.

The vehicles split up, and Dick, headed off towards Port St Johns a few kilometres further on, and friend Ivor Phillips (69), raced towards Umtata in an attempt to save John life.

Cynthia was declared dead at a clinic in Port St Johns. John was operated on at St Mary's Hospital in Umtata. "During an operation on Tuesday evening, the bullet could not be removed from my father's spine because it was too dangerous. All we can do now is pray that he gets better,” said John’s son Robin.

It is believed the bullet that hit John first passed through the arm of Ivor Phillips, who had been driving. Ivor was later taken by helicopter to St Dominic's Hospital in East London.

"Lorraine Cotterell (65), one of two friends travelling with the Dobrowskys, told how her friend had been shot in front of her. "We were driving slowly along the gravel road. At first, I thought a piece of gravel had hit the windscreen, but there was a terrible explosion and then Cynthia said she'd been shot." According to Cotterell, Dobrowsky lost consciousness and she and Elmien Fletcher (69), battled to keep their wounded friend's head upright while her husband raced away from the attack."

The eight people all came from Gonubie, near East London, and had known each other for between five and 30 years.

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
• Funeral/Memorial
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction

Additional Biographical Information:

• ID Number : 3209125027080
• Cause of death : UNNATURAL CAUSE
• John married Wendy Mary Jamieson on 27/09/1958
• https://www.gendatabase.com/deceased-record.php?q=2475767&r=JOHN%20...

Links to Media articles:

• https://archive.is/H9goT