POLOKWANE – The police are investigating an incident where a resident was robbed along the side of the R71 to Tzaneen just outside the city after stopping to change a punctured tyre after driving over harmless looking fruit in the road.
Jaco Venter said on later investigation he found there were nails concealed in the fruit, which were the cause of the puncture.
Venter explained that as he was changing the tyre, two men with steel pipes in their hands approached him and threatened to kill him if he did not hand over all his valuables, which included his wallet and cell phone.
“I complied with their demand, after which they told me to lie down on the back seat of my car and count to 100 before I got up, failing which they would kill me.” He said he did as they said.
When he eventually alighted from his vehicle again, he finished changing the tyre and went to report the incident at the Polokwane Police Station.
The police are investigating the incident confirmed Spokesperson for the Polokwane Police, WO Lesiba Ramoshaba.
He mentioned a similar incident where potatoes were used instead of fruit and said whether the two cases are related or not is part of the investigation.
“We can’t confirm at this stage whether there is a syndicate at work but the possibility has not been excluded.”
In other parts of the country there have been reports in the media where oranges were also used in the same way.
