Robbed while walking along the road

Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by putting the victim in fear.

According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear; that is, it is a larceny or theft accomplished by an assault.

Robbery is differentiated from other forms of theft (such as burglary, shoplifting, pickpocketing, or car theft) by its inherently violent nature.

“I was walking down the street on my way to go and buy a Gatsby when this young guy stopped me and asked me for directions to Boston Campus. I started explaining to him, but before I could finish, he had pushed a gun against my stomach and told me to give him my wallet and cellphone,” explained Tumelo Mathemune, “of course I just gave everything to him.”

On July 20, Mathemune was the unlucky victim of yet another armed robbery on an individual on the sidewalk in eMalahleni’s Central Business District (CBD).

The spate of criminal activity in this area of town has often dissuaded residents of eMalahleni from setting foot there, but not everybody has a choice.

“I work in the CBD every day. I’ve seen other people being robbed as well, especially through car windows – but what can you do? I can’t avoid the CBD, I work here,” Mathemune lamented.