MOKOPANE – A 47-year-old businessman from Mokopane is in a stable condition in Limpopo Mediclinic in Polokwane, after he was shot and robbed outside his store on Friday afternoon.
Aslam Motala, the owner of Motala Hardware store in Mokopane was about to get into his car outside his store on the corner of Nelson Mandela and Bezuidenhout Street, to go and bank R26 000, when an unknown man approached him, demanding that he hand over the money.
When Motala refused, the man shot him in the left leg and took off with the money in ‘n silver BMW, reported Const. Mmadikgale Masingi, spokesperson for the Mokopane police station, in a media statement.
The Mokopane police and emergency services workers arrived on the scene where they rushed Motala to Limpopo Mediclinic in Polokwane.
One of the employees of Motala Hardware store told Bosveld on Tuesday, that Motala had to be operated on, after the bullet punctured and cracked one of the bones in his left leg.
“After this incident we are looking into upgrading our security system,” said the employee, who would like to remain anonymous.
The employees at Motala Hardware store expressed their relief that Motala was in a stable condition and said they were grateful that the event didn’t turn out “worse”.
According to Masingi, an investigation is ongoing and a case of robbery with a firearm has been opened. No arrests have yet been made.
In a separate incident on Wednesday, a man was shot in the foot and robbed of the cash that he recently withdrew from an ATM in the Mokopane Mall.
An eye witness said the attackers were driving a silver BMW with the licence plate number DSJ 316 L.
The Valke neighbourhood watch urged residents to be on the alert.
