An Absa ATM situated inside a Newcastle pub was blown up, police said on Thursday.
Captain Shooz Magudulela said the incident took place in Newcastle’s industrial area late on Wednesday night.
”A security guard was found tied up this morning [Thursday] and he had been like that since 9pm last night,” he said.
Four men bombed the ATM. When they failed to get any money, they vandalised the pub. ”They also stole a substantial amount of liquor,” he said.
Magudulela said no one had been inside the pub at the time of the ATM blast. ”But we suspect that the four were patrons at the pub earlier in the day. We believe they were keeping watch.”
No arrests have been made yet.
Three men were arrested in connection with an Absa ATM bombing at Phagameng township in Modimolle on Wednesday, Limpopo police said.
Absa’s general manager for group security, Mariette Barends, said on Wednesday: ”In as much as these ATMs belong to Absa, they are also there for the benefit of the people in communities.”
She said Absa remains committed to ”taking banking to the people”, despite the bombings. — Sapa