The spate of cash-in-transit heists has reached alarming levels, with two brazen and violent robberies carried out in Ekurhuleni and Soweto on Thursday.
The latest incidents brought the number of heists to over 160 in the country since the beginning of the year.
A total of 378 heists occurred during 2017.
The current figure translates into just over one heist committed in the country per day since January.
Gunmen struck in Atlas Road in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, at 6am on Thursday. Five hours later, another heist was reported in Dobsonville, Soweto.
One person was shot dead in the Boksburg robbery, while six suspects were arrested in Soweto.
Atlas Road has been described a high-risk area for cash vans, following yesterday’s attack, which was the second in two months.
A combination of the road’s lack of surveillance cameras and the nearby G4S cash depot, have made the area vulnerable. A group of armed men driving in different cars stopped a cash van before a gun battle ensued with the guards. One suspect was shot dead and three people wounded.
Philani Khumalo, a taxi driver, said he saw a suspect throw an explosive device under the van.
“I was stationary at the robot when three men stopped and threw something that looked like an explosive device under the cash van.
“I tried to get out of the taxi and run away, but one of the suspects told me to lie down,” Khumalo said.
Khumalo, who was transporting commuters to work, said after a few minutes, he heard gunshots and a woman crying for help.
Paramedics arrived on the scene shortly afterwards and found a woman, who was a passenger in a taxi, with a gunshot wound. Her condition was described as serious.
Paramedics also found two security guards injured. Two of the guards sustained gunshot wounds to their feet. One suspect was fatally wounded.
In Dobsonville, at least six suspects were arrested in an attempted heist.
Brigadier Vish Naidoo said police were investigating the incident.
The van was parked at an ATM, so that the guards could fill it up with cash when there was an explosion.
“No money was taken. The suspects have been arrested and we are still trying to verify whether the suspects were trying to rob the cash van or the ATM,” Naidoo said.
“We are still trying to verify the involvement of the suspects, because there were some who were trying to steal money when the device was detonated.
“We are not sure whether the ATM or the vehicle exploded.
“One of the guards was injured and people ran and took money. We are not sure whether those arrested are the ones who were trying to rob the van or those who just came to take the money,” Naidoo said.
In May, a group of robbers pulled a brazen heist on two vans in Atlas Road, which led to a police car chase that ended at George Goch Hostel.
The men had bombed the vans, shot at the guards and stole an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing the scene. Videos recorded by witnesses showed motorists driving in Atlas Road suddenly stopping, and making hasty U-turns to drive to safety.
Eight people, including two guards, were injured.
DA Gauteng MPL and spokesperson for community safety Michele Clarke described the road as unsafe.
Clarke, who lives near Atlas Road, said police intelligence was weak.
“Atlas Road is a high-risk area with explosives and AK-47s used by the perpetrators.
“The question should be asked: How are they acquired? We are going to ask questions; how many military weapons have gone missing? There must be investigations on these heists
“The SAPS intelligence is weak, hence they fail to investigate all these heists. This is the second one in a short space of time,” she said.
Solomon Mathibedi of the Motor Transport Workers Union said the road did not have cameras, hence perpetrators targeted cash vans travelling on it.
“Police must ask themselves why both incidents happened on the same road? The targeted vans were full of money when they came from the depot,” Mathibedi pointed out.