Shoppers and residents of eMtshebheni, a shopping centre located at Durban‘s Inanda township, were left stunned after cash-in-transit guards were robbed by men clad in full ANC regalia bearing the face of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The guards were allegedly collecting cash at one of the retailers in the shopping centre when heavily armed robbers pounced on Tuesday.
According to street vendors who spoke to Sunday World on Thursday, the robbers made their way to the centre under the pretext that they were mobilizing support for the governing party.
“You could tell that the robbery was well-organised because it didn’t last more than 15 minutes,” said one of the vendors who did not want to be identified.
“When they came in, we did not pay much attention because we thought it was these politicians campaigning for elections.
“They walked inside the centre and hastily went out. We later heard that they had committed a heist.”
ANC eThekwini regional spokesperson Mlondolozi Mkhize bemoaned the incident, saying it was meant to embarrass the ruling party.
“This is an attempt to paint the ANC in a bad light. It is an abominable act which should not go unpunished,” said Mkhize.
According to crime statistics released recently, Inanda tops the list as one of dangerous townships in the country.
Murder and rape are some of the crime prevalent in the township located south of Durban.
The police in KwaZulu-Natal have confirmed the robbery.
“No arrests have been made but police investigations are continuing,” said provincial SA Police Service spokesperson Thenjiswa Ngcobo.
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