Durban — Young Bailey Lottering is excited about hitting the high notes again on her “precious” violin, recently stolen in a home invasion and recovered last week.
She’s also happy for the security personnel and police officers to take a bow after they arrested a suspected member of the armed gang that terrorised Bailey and her family last month in their Westville home. The suspect led police to the violin.
The robbers had made off with a number of possessions from Bailey’s home, including her expensive vintage-looking instrument, which is now in need of some minor repair work and TLC.
Bailey, a Grade 7 pupil at Atholl Heights Primary, is serious about her violin playing and contributed towards the purchase of her instrument two years ago by selling all her old collectable toys.
Bailey’s reunion with the instrument happened in the “exhibits room” at the SAPS Pinetown branch on her birthday on Monday.
“I’m excited about getting the violin back. My 13th birthday will always be a memorable one,” said Bailey.
“I was very relieved it hadn’t been destroyed. Some new strings, a new bow and it would be good to go again,” she said about playing her violin again.
Sheldon Leask, operations manager at JAG Security, said his members were among the security personnel and police who responded to a reported house robbery in Cowies Hill, during which a vehicle was stolen.
The vehicle was tracked to an informal settlement in KwaDabeka. One suspect was arrested at a shack where the vehicle was parked, while others fled.
“We searched the shack and found a whole lot of items, including the violin. I remembered a violin had been stolen during a Westville home invasion. I called the family and asked for a picture of the violin.”
Leask said the violin, markings, box and a name on the box all matched.
Bailey’s mother Kate van Zyl confirmed the interaction with JAG Security.
“When I heard the news, I didn’t want to get too hopeful.”
Van Zyl said she had to first identify the violin at the police station.
“It was a bittersweet moment because I was worried it might have been destroyed, but Bailey said it needed new strings and a bow.
“This was an absolutely happy ending, none of the other household possessions were recovered. The main thing was recovering Bailey’s violin.”
Van Zyl said another musician (Evan Cullum) had been moved to initiate a back-a-buddy campaign when he heard about the theft of Lottering’s violin.
“Perhaps the funds collected could be used to restore the violin,” she said.
Cullum said Bailey’s plight had struck a chord with him.
His daughter Rebecca, who had been a pupil at Atholl Heights until last year, and Bailey were tutored in violin by the school’s music teacher Anita Blyth.
“It was an act of empathy. If it was me or my child, I would have wanted someone to do something for me.”
Cullum said he was glad to have played a role in a story with a happy ending.
“After the trauma Bailey endured, it’s nice for her to know there are people in South Africa who she is not well acquainted with, who are prepared to care for and support her.”
He said he would let the page (“Restore the Music”) run for a week before handing over the funds for the violin’s repair.
Blyth, who loaned Lottering a violin so she could continue playing, said before seeing the violin and judging from a picture, just the strings and the fine tuners needed to be replaced.
“A musician, whether a student or a professional, always makes a connection with their instrument. I think the fact that she has her violin back, the one that she saved up for and sacrificed a lot to get, I think that is going to give her a renewed sense of hope that good can prevail.”
Independent on Saturday