A group of 40 German travel agents were robbed of their handbags at gunpoint in their bus at Cape Town’s Khayelitsha township on Wednesday, SA Tourism said on Thursday.
Two armed men stormed into the group’s stationary tour bus and demanded that passengers hand over their valuables and money, SA Tourism spokesperson Shirley Motea said.
The travel agents, who are on a week-long educational visit to South Africa, were in the country as guests of SA Tourism, she said in a statement.
Western Cape police said it is unclear how much money was taken from the group, and the value of their stolen items has also not been ascertained.
”We don’t know how much was taken because we have not interviewed all of them,” Western Cape police spokesperson Superintendent Billy Jones said.
”The handbags contain things like money, cameras and cellphones,” Jones said, adding that the group’s attack took place at about 6pm on Wednesday.
Motea said the travel agents had boarded the bus and were expected to move from their afternoon activities to dinner in the Cape Town township when they were attacked.
”The visitors had boarded the bus that was to move them from their afternoon activities to dinner in Khayelitsha when at least two armed men allegedly entered the bus and demanded … valuables and money. No one was injured.”
She said the Khayelitsha group formed part of a contingent of 300 German travel agents currently visiting South Africa to ”learn more” about the country ”in order to sell it more effectively to German travellers”.
”All 300 delegates had been in Khayelitsha that afternoon, but only one bus was attacked,” Motea said, adding the group’s attackers fled.
”When the entire group arrived back at its hotel last night, a representative of the tour operator informed delegates of what had taken place and told them, too, that it was the company’s decision that the educational trip of South Africa would continue.
”However, delegates were given the opportunity to return to Germany should they wish to do so.
”Two of the delegates elected to return home. Transport arrangements have been made for them. Later last night, however, delegates who had chosen to continue with the educational tour had resumed their planned itinerary,” Motea said.
SA Tourism chief executive Moeketsi Mosola said he is ”dismayed and deeply concerned” over the group’s robbery.
”This is an appalling incident and our deepest concern goes to those affected,” he said. ”An incident such as this has significantly negative consequences for everyone.”
He said trauma counselling was provided to the affected Germans.
The police, an official from Cape Town Routes Unlimited and another from SA Tourism visited the delegation at their hotel to ”demonstrate their concern and deep regret for what had taken place”, he said.
Mosola praised the police for arriving at the scene ”minutes after the incident had taken place”.
”The police have launched an investigation into the incident, and we are confident that they are doing all they can to find and apprehend the criminals,” Mosola said. — Sapa