Mnandi Shopping Centre CIT robbery case postponed

The case of a 41-year-old man, who allegedly attempted to rob a cash-in-transit (CIT) vehicle at Mnandi Shopping Centre in Pretoria on Friday, has been postponed in his absence.

According to police, Shadrack Sabata Motan faces charges of attempted robbery, the unlawful possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, and two counts of attempted murder.

It is alleged that Motan was part a group of five men who attempted to rob the CIT van, police said. A shootout between security guards and the robbers ensued in which two security guards and Motan were injured.

Motan was arrested on the scene and is in hospital. Four robbers are still at large.

The case was postponed to 31 August for a possible bail application, police said.

It was previously reported that experts had noted an increase in CIT robberies after South Africa’s hard lockdown.

Concerned, the CIT industry banded together to form the Cash in Transit Association of South Africa (Citasa).

The organisation will be an industry-wide partnership between major CIT companies, law enforcement, the government as well as the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric).

Grant Clarke, who will head up the organisation, said the resurgence of CIT robberies was cause for concern, despite an overall decrease in incidents in the two previous years.

Clark added that at the moment, there was no proper legislation for CIT or the movement of cash in South Africa, except from the SA Reserve Bank and Sabric, and this was what Citasa sought to change.

The organisation will also assist law enforcement in bringing perpetrators to book and ensure they are put behind bars, Clarke said.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.