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Crime Reporter
INTERCAPE Bus Company has apologised to the victims of last week’s bus robbery in South Africa when two gang members travelling as passengers stopped the bus at gunpoint to allow the rest of the gang to board.
A number of Zimbabweans travelling from Johannesburg to Harare lost their belongings at gunpoint to the gang of robbers near Kranskop tollgate on the N1 highway in Limpopo, South Africa.
In a statement, Intercape said: “This completely random, uncontrollable act by criminals masquerading as passengers is regretted by Intercape. We would like to confirm that as an organisation, we strive to keep our passengers safe at all times.
Intercape would like to apologise to our most valued passengers for any inconvenience.”
No arrests have been made.
South Africa Police Services (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo on Tuesday said two men, who posed as passengers, pointed guns at the bus driver and ordered him to stop.
“It is still unclear where the two got in. After stopping, another vehicle coming from behind with more robbers got into the bus and started robbing everybody,” he said.
He said the gang had at least eight members, who robbed passengers
The criminals were armed with an AK 47 rifle, pistols and knives.
The passengers had boarded the bus at Park Station in Johannesburg at around 7.30pm on Saturday night to travel to Harare and the hijacking occurred soon after they left Pretoria.
SA’s Transport and Allied Workers Union spokesperson Zanele Sabele said most bus companies had cameras on board.
“These should be used to identify the perpetrators.
Those companies that don’t have cameras should consider installing them,” Sabele said.
Autopax, a state-owned entity and subsidiary of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), which operates Translux and City-to-City said 80 percent of their operational buses had telematics and surveillance on board.
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