Suspects flee with gadgets after robbing vaccination team in Tshwane

Five suspects carrying guns managed to get away with a number of electronic gadgets after robbing a vaccination team in Tshwane on Saturday.

The incident took place at a taxi in Soshanguve, located in the north of Pretoria, around 9am on Saturday.

According to the Gauteng Health department, the five men arrived at the Wonder City Taxi Rank in a white Toyota Quantum, where they robbed the vaccination team at gunpoint.

The suspects fled with vaccination programme gadgets – including three tablets, one smart phone and six cellphones.

In a separate incident, a district health vehicle was hijacked in Kagiso last week Monday.

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During the incident, the hijackers escaped with the vehicle, which was carrying mobile site equipment and gazebos, in Chamdor, located on the West Rand.

Cases of robbery have since been opened for both incidents at the Soshanguve and Kagiso police stations.

No one was physically harmed in both incidences.

The provincial health department, meanwhile, condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms”.

“These senseless acts occurred at a time when the province is ramping up the vaccination programme by activating more vaccination sites in all the districts in order to vaccinate as many people as possible.

“Our healthcare workers remain the backbone of the health system, even during the pandemic as they continue to play a pivotal role in terms of vaccination programme rollout. We call on all members of society to work with law enforcement agencies and to share any information they might have on the two incidents,” the department said in a statement.