KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele on Monday condemned a surge in cash-in-transit heists in the province.
”This renewed spate of heists in the province is something we condemn in the strongest terms, for such criminality results in a number of people, particularly the aged, disabled and indigent, being inconvenienced by the delays in getting their money,” he said.
Ndebele said this after at least six incidents of cash-in-transit heists were reported in the province on Monday.
These robberies occurred in Kranskop, Amanzimtoti, Ezingolweni, Isipingo and Ladysmith. Two people were shot dead and several injured at the Ezingolweni incident.
Ndebele said the province had experienced a period of relative calm from heist gangs in the recent past, due to police crime intelligence and effective strategies against cash-in-transit heists.
He urged the police to intensify their vigilance and fight even harder.
”We have confidence in the country’s security agencies in dealing with the resurgence of this scourge. We also want to appeal to our communities to join hands in the fight against this kind of criminality by warning the police of impending cash-in-transit heists that they may have information on.”
He expressed the hope that those involved in the heists would be arrested and face the full might of the law.
Meanwhile, the premier has applauded the police for their swift action in arresting some of the robbers in Kranskop and Ezingolweni. — Sapa