Two elderly people were caught in the crossfire when bank robbers opened fire in central Mthatha on Thursday.
The robbers hit a money van while guards were loading cash into an ATM.
It was unclear who was shooting at who, but police said the gang fled in a small car amid the pandemonium as shoppers and hawkers ran in all directions.
Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced they were looking for the accomplices of Mfundo Mboza of Cape Town, a convicted burglar who faces a charge in the Ngcobo Magistrate’s Court over Monday’s robbery of a G4S van at Satan’s Nek cuttings near Ngcobo.
The armoured truck was blown up and R2.7-million stolen, said spokesman Luxolo Tyali. In the Mthatha robbery chaos, a woman, 75, took a bullet in the arm and was treated on site while a man, 70, was hit in the head and rushed to hospital. His condition was unknown. Both were apparently standing outside waiting for the bank to open.
One shopkeeper, fearing he was about to be looted, locked his doors to keep panic-stricken people out.
Witness Thobeka Vimba, who has a fruit stand near the bank, told the Dispatch both victims were caught in the crossfire. “We heard gunshots and saw people starting to run, so we also started to run although we did not even know what was going on.
“We saw one of the guards from the bank run towards the back of the bank and we just followed him. Other people ran down the street. I thought we were going to die,” said Vimba.
The drama broke out early in the morning in the CBD’s densely congested York Road.Zuko Khahla said it happened too fast for him to see what kind of vehicle the robbers left in but he noticed they were carrying a trunk or a case.
“We thought nobody got injured because it all happened so fast. We saw one carrying a gun and we heard shots. Most people tried to run for cover.”
Passer-by Menzi Gqwetha did not wait to look around when heard gunshots. He ran for cover. “I was walking down York Road when I heard the commotion. I saw a G4S truck and immediately thought a robbery was happening. I just saw a small silver or white car driving very fast down the street.”
Fahad Ali, who owns a shop near the bank, quickly locked his door because people were rushing in for cover.
“We have never experienced something like this before.
“We hear about these things but never think it will happen here,” said Ali.
Police spokeswoman Captain Dineo Koena said guards were loading money at an ATM station when a man emerged from the queue outside and pointed a gun at him.
“He led the guard to the car where another man waited.
“There they took the container, which had about five bags of money inside, and fled in a Toyota Etios. No one was able to catch the registration number,” said Koena, adding police were investigating.
Despite numerous attempts the Daily Dispatch was unable to get a comment from G4S.
Earlier this month national SAPS issued a statement that cash-in-transit robberies had more than halved in June from May, and dozens of robbery suspects had been arrested.
NPA spokesman Luxolo Tyali said Mfundo Mboza, 28, appeared in the Ngcobo Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances.
This followed a cash-in-transit (CIT) robbery on Monday at the Satan’s Nek cuttings near Ngcobo. “During the robbery, the G4S security van was blown up with explosives and R2.7m was stolen,” said Tyali.
It was Mboza’s first appearance and he was remanded to August 2 for a bail application. He was already out on bail for a pending case of business robbery in Cape Town...