Former chief justice of South Africa Sandile Ngcobo has become the latest victim of the notorious Rolex gang.
Ngcobo was robbed of his timepiece worth R150 000 at gunpoint by the gang on Thursday last week. The 69-year-old legal eagle, who served as chief justice between 2009 and 2011, sustained injuries to his face during the attack.
A police officer, who did not want to be named, said Ngcobo, who was succeeded by Mogoeng Mogoeng, was driving from Sandton City to his house in the same neighbourhood when the gang pounced on him.
The tipster said when Ngcobo turned into Harrow Road, he noticed that a vehicle, silver in colour, was following him, but did not suspect anything bad was about to happen.
When he arrived outside his house, he got out to open the gate, but suddenly heard a loud bang at the back of his vehicle. He looked around and saw two men, one armed with a firearm, approaching.
“One of them, who was armed with a silver pistol, went to the driver’s door and smashed the window. He [the attacker] then forcefully opened the door, dragged the old man out of the car and demanded [that he take off] his wrist watch,” said the cop.
“The old man tried to take off the watch but struggled for while because he was terrified.”
The tipster added that as Ngcobo was struggling to take off the timepiece, the second unarmed thug instructed the gunman to shoot and kill the retired chief justice. “The other suspect who was seemingly impatient with him [Ngcobo] said ‘kill him’.”
The armed attacker then grabbed Ngcobo by the hand and forcefully removed the watch from his wrist. They then jumped into their getaway silver Toyota Yaris hatchback [KJ 24 JF GP] and sped off.
The Bramley police, who were summoned to the scene, obtained a statement from Ngcobo and downloaded CCTV footage from a security camera at the house. The statement from the police, which we have seen, confirmed that Ngcobo was robbed off his Rolex timepiece worth R150 000.
Gauteng police spokesperson Mavela Masondo confirmed that Ngcobo was robbed of his Rolex watch on Thursday last week. He said a case of armed robbery has been registered and investigations are under way.
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