CAPE TOWN - Four people including a police officer were wounded during an exchange of gunfire between officers and robbers at the Eerste River post office on Tuesday.
The gunmen stormed the building, demanding cash, before a shootout with police ensued.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said Kleinvlei police were investigating cases of attempted murder, an attack on police, and business robbery.
“Police members from Kleinvlei Crime Prevention Unit responded to a complaint of a business robbery in Eerste River, in Strand Road, at about 12.45pm.
According to reports, unknown males entered the post office, demanding cash. When the police officers arrived at the scene, a shootout between the suspects and the police followed,” said Swartbooi.
He said the robbers fled the scene and were yet to be arrested.
“Two males aged 76 and 40 and a female aged 40 sustained gunshot wounds. A 30-year-old police constable also sustained gunshot wounds.
The four victims were transported to nearby hospitals for medical treatment,” Swartbooi said.
South African Post Office (Sapo) spokesperson Johan Kruger said crime at the provincial branches causes considerable stress to employees.
“It is Post Office policy to make sure all employees who were in crime incidents receive professional trauma counselling. Apart from physical damage done to Post Office buildings, crime also leads to a considerable loss of income because of lost trading time, and this in turn inconveniences Post Office clients.
The Post Office has a programme to improve security features at its branches, focusing on the high-risk branches first, and is also implementing a programme to reduce cash at branches,” said Kruger.
Ward councillor Frans Sauls has called for the tightening of security at post offices.
“The post offices are there to serve the people and worse during this time there are people who get their grant money from the post office,” said Sauls.
Anyone with information about the incident can anonymously contact Crime Stop on 0860010111 or SMS Crime Line on 32211, alternatively use the MySaps mobile app.
Cape Times