A veil of secrecy seems to be hanging over an attempted cash-in-transit heist that caused closure of the N8 highway between Bloemfontein and Botshabelo for hours on Tuesday evening.
Several calls to police and its specialised investigation unit, the Hawks, to complete the puzzle were unsuccessful. No official statement had been released hours after the crime scene was cleared and the road re-opened. Information received suggested that the incident happened when two G4S vehicles were on route from Botshabelo to Bloemfontein. The suspects, who were waiting for the vehicles, started firing shots at both the transit vehicles, which came to a standstill. It is alleged that the suspects then planted explosives on both vehicles in order to get to the money.
A source on the scene said the explosives were, however, not activated and suspects could not gain access. They shot both the drivers of the transit vehicles, took their firearms and fled the scene. The crew members from the cash-in-transit vehicle were not injured and no money was taken. It is alleged that a passing motorist was also shot in the incident.
No arrests have yet been made, but the incident held up traffic for hours. During Bloemfontein Courant’s investigation into the heist, we established that three security officers were admitted to hospital – instead of the initial indication that only two were shot in their legs. Busamed Bram Fischer International Airport Hospital, situated on the N8 where the attempted heist took place, said the three security guards were in a stable condition. Spokesperson for the hospital, Samantha Sauls, confirmed the guards were receiving medical treatment, but could not confirm when they would be released.
This incident is the second heist on the same road in just three months. In April, this year, a shootout between suspects and security officers also led to the closing of the road for several hours. A month later thousands of security guards and members of the Motor Transport Workers Union (MTWU), in association with the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa), took part in a national protest, calling for the killing of workers in the cash-in-transit industry to stop.
MTWU’s spokesperson, Hlasinyane Motaung, said by then 159 employees had been targeted during these heists in comparison to last year’s 147 employees.
Josca Human
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