S.Africa: Crime: Armed men rob Golden Arrow bus passengers in Khayelitsha
Cape Town – Passengers got the fright of their lives when the bus they were travelling in on Wednesday morning was robbed by two armed men.
According to Golden Arrow Bus Service spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer, the incident occurred at approximately 6.40am along Spine Road in Khayelitsha.
She said two armed men had forced their way onto the bus that was loading passengers. The bus driver and four passengers were robbed.
Dyke-Beyer said a replacement bus was made available for passengers after the incident and the matter was reported to the Harare SA Police Service (SAPS).
“We have been working closely with SAPS in Khayelitsha, who have been boarding buses and conducting operations as part of the joint operational plan, but this is indicative of the severity of the crime problem in the area,” she said.
She said they hope to see further improvements as the bus company continues to roll out interventions.
Dyke-Beyer said the company has an in-house social worker and counselling is available through the SAPS for passengers who have gone through these traumatic experiences.
The police’s provincial spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, confirmed that an armed robbery docket has been opened for investigation at the Harare police station.
The docket, however, will be transferred to the Lingelethu West police station for further investigation as the incident took place in their jurisdiction.
Van Wyk said the loot included a number of cellphones, as well as an undisclosed amount of money stolen from the bus driver.
He said that afterwards the robbers jumped out of the bus and fled the scene on foot.