Malamulele residents have reason to be concerned about their safety after a cash-in-transit heist at the OBC butchery in Masingita Crossing, right next to the Malamulele Police Station. The incident happened on Friday morning, 4 August, at around 08:39.
A Fidelity Cash Solutions security guard was allegedly in the process of depositing money into the automated teller machine (ATM) when he was confronted by a group of approximately six armed men. These men forcibly took two canisters containing an undisclosed amount of money from the security guard.
The communications officer of Malamulele SAPS, Sgt Busisiwe Khuzwayo, said that a firearm with ammunition belonging to the security company had also been stolen. "It is reported that the suspects fired several shots before fleeing the scene in a white Nissan NP 300 single cab. No injuries were reported during the shooting. We are currently busy tracking down suspects from a recent robbery at the butchery. They haven't been identified yet, but we are working on it," said Khuzwayo.
Freedom Chavani, a resident of Mapapila village in Malamulele, expressed the community's concerns about safety. "We no longer feel safe because it seems like criminals are exploiting the proximity of the police station. How can we trust the local police after the OBC butchery, which is right next to it, was targeted by criminals? What's worse is that the police station itself was robbed of guns only two years ago," he said.
Sgt Khuzwayo stated that measures were being implemented to address residents' concerns and provide reassurance to the entire community. "Our main focus is on increasing visibility in the area to keep everyone safe. We have more police officers patrolling and making their presence known, so people can feel safe again," she said.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Limpopo Province's spokesperson, Col Matimba Maluleke, mentioned that they had launched a manhunt for the suspects.
The Hawks are appealing to anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact Capt George Mutavhatsindi at 071 351 7275 or the nearest police station. Alternatively, information can be shared via the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111 or the MysapsApp.