The Limpopo police are on the hunt for a group of armed robbers who have been terrorising communities in the Vhembe area.
A group of unknown armed suspects created havoc the past week with a spate of armed robberies, hijackings and kidnapping in areas such as Bandelierkop, Waterval, Tshitale and Malamulele.
The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Limpopo, Lt Gen Nneke Ledwaba, has established a dedicated team of members from various units to track down what they believe is a criminal syndicate.
Last Wednesday, two cases of carjacking and kidnapping were reported at Njhakanjhaka village along the R578 public road in the Waterval policing area. Three suspects robbed two victims at gunpoint of their money and cellphones. The victims were dropped off in the nearby bushes before the robbers drove away with their motor vehicles.
In a separate incident, still in the Waterval policing area, the same three suspects hijacked two different couples at separate places. They took them to the bushes and gang-raped the women in front of their partners. Both men were then shot before the suspects fled the scene.
In the Malamulele policing area, several incidents were reported where cars were hijacked and spaza shops were robbed. Three hijacked cars were later recovered by the police. The suspects were wearing face covers and spoke isiZulu, mixed with a bit of Xitsonga.
The police have appealed to members of the public to come forward with information that might lead to the arrest of the suspects. Lt-Col Richard Boshomane can be contacted at 079 894 5501 or Lt-Col Mildred Muenda on 079 517 0017 or the crime stop number 0860010111.
A community member, Mr Samuel Muredi, said that criminals had taken control of the area, once considered to be one of the safest places to live in the country. He said people were now living in fear, wondering who would be next to be robbed. "We are not safe at all here," he said.
He said that the community was fed-up with the crime and the thugs who had been terrorising them. He said the community should strengthen the partnership that existed between themselves and the police. "We all have the responsibility to fight crime, and it is only through a united front that we could succeed," he said.