On May 9, a woman was walking home from work at about 18:30; the sun was well below the horizon when Eunice Zodwa was making her way down the quiet road towards her house.
She was less that a 100m away from the safety of her house in Blanchville, when two men appeared out of the tall grass growing next to the road. One stood in front of her as the other blocked any chance of escape by standing behind her. The robber facing her pulled out a knife and demanded she hand over her cell phone. As Zowda reached into her handbag with a trembling hand, the robbers changed their minds and grabbed her whole handbag out of her hands before running off.
The victims said that she had injured her leg earlier and could not run away or run for help, besides being traumatized from the experienced. Apart from her cell phone, she also had money in her handbag.
Another victim of armed robbery was overwhelmed by three robbers with knives while making a long distance hike from eMalahleni to Ogies. It is not known where exactly the incident happened as the victim could not be reached for comment, however according to reports he was approached by three unknown men who all had knives. The victim tried to run away but tripped and fell down causing his pursuers to easily catch up and rob him while he was down. They apparently stole all of the valuables he had on him before making their escape. The incident occurred at 18:30 on May 7.
Sgt David Ratau from the Witbank SAPS reiterates the tried and true ways to decrease the chances of being a victim of a robbery. He states that pedestrians should always travel in groups or in pairs. Never travel alone; especially, after dark. Avoid having valuable items in plain sight, and lastly if you do fall victim to a robbery never play the hero. Rather comply with the robbers’ demands than risking your life by running away or trying to fight.
According to statistics website isafrica.org there where 517 cases of robbery that were reported to the Witbank SAPS which is a decrease from 2012, but the need to be vigilant and take precautionary measures applies to everyone. Contact the Witbank SAPS on 013 656 5082 to report a crime.
