Killed on wedding day while holding his baby
While a bishop and his wife were trying to reform their son, he was gunned down inside his bride's home, holding his three-month-old baby.
|||Cape Town - Two parents say they couldn’t save their son from a life of gangsterism.
While the Manenberg bishop and his wife were trying to reform their son, he was tragically gunned down by alleged gangesters inside his bride’s home on his wedding day.
On April 7, Ryan Baartman, 25, a former member of the Americans gang who later joined the Hard Livings, was shot five times while holding his three-month-old baby.
Miraculously the infant escaped unharmed.
Bishop Dane Echardt said Baartman went from being a youth member in church to a gang member.
The 63-year-old Bishop is the leader of Deuteronomy Assembly, which he runs from his Manenberg home, and is a former gangster himself.
“I left the gang 30 years ago when I moved to Manenberg,” the holy man said.
“I gave my heart to the Lord and I raised all my children in the church.
“We were very strict with them, but you don’t know what they do when they leave the house,” say Bishop Dane.
He and his wife Johanna, 63, adopted Baartman and two other boys and also have a biological son.
Sadly, all his adopted sons have joined gangs, with two ending up in jail.
Things ended more tragically for Baartman.
On that fateful day, Baartman’s girlfriend answered a knock on the door, explains Bishop Dane.
“They said it was the police but Ryan apparently recognised the voice [as a rival gangster] and ran to the back of the house,” said his dad.
He said the killers kicked in the door and started shooting.
“With the first gunshot he fell on his back and the baby fell on his chest as he died.”
Johanna said: “He died on the day he was supposed to get married. When I heard the news I was at peace.”
A 36-year-old man was arrested and appeared in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court on Monday on a charge of murder.
The parents say they always spoke to their sons about leaving the thug life.
Bishop Dane added: “I know it’s not easy to leave a gang but I always encourage the youngsters in my community to give God a chance instead of throwing their lives away.”
Baartman’s brother Bradley Echardt, 38, said even after leaving the Naughty Boys gang 12 years ago, he is still not at peace.
“I fear for my life because other gangsters might think that I am still one,” he said.
Daily Voice