Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has established a high-level team of investigators led by a senior officer to probe an armed robbery that took place at Sambandou Clinic in the early hours of Monday, 27 June. Two security guards and four nurses were robbed.
Sambandou Clinic, within the Makuya policing area in the Vhembe District, is one of the clinics that operate on a 24-hour call system. According to Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, three suspects allegedly entered the premises from the fence at the back at about 01:30 and approached the guardroom. They pointed guns at the security guards on duty and demanded their work pistols.
"They didn't find any and, instead, robbed them of their cellphones before proceeding to the clinic building, where they robbed the nurses of their cellphones, money, and the car keys of a silver-grey Toyota Fortuner belonging to one of the nurses. They used the car to flee the scene," said Mojapelo.
After the suspects had fled, the police were notified and initial investigations to trace the suspects were activated. The vehicle was later found abandoned at Vyeboom in the Vuwani policing area.
Hadebe said that any attack on health facilities required an adequate and prompt response to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to book. Anyone with information may contact investigating officer Sergeant Thulani Baloyi on 072 228 2680, the Crime Stop number on 08600 10111, the nearest police station or MySAPSApp.
Meanwhile, Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba expressed her anger and concern about the attack and robbery at the clinic. "As the department, we are very disappointed by the criminal elements that are targeting our clinics. These thugs are reducing and trying to collapse the gains that we are putting together as a department in pursuit of opening our clinics for 24-hour services," she said.
Ramathuba said that the thugs were attacking people who had dedicated themselves to saving the lives of people. "As a society, we should be ashamed of these barbaric acts, some of which happen on our watch, and we don't come out to name these perpetrators. Let's unite as people and report these criminals to the law-enforcement agencies," she said.
The MEC has since dispatched a team of psychologists to provide psychological support to the victims.