Two of the three suspects who were arrested at Elim by the provincial specialised unit of the SAPS for allegedly conspiring to commit an armed robbery, briefly appeared in the Waterval Regional Court last Wednesday.

The suspects, Victor Masiagwala (29) of Tshakhuma and Shadrack Muanalo (35) of Muraga village, were arrested last Monday morning after a shoot-out with the police. One of the other suspects who was arrested during the incident was released as there was no evidence linking him to the case.

The incident relating to their arrest took place along the Elim/Louis Trichardt road, when police managed to foil an apparent attempt at a cash-in-transit robbery. Four suspected armed robbers met their match when a shoot-out ensued between them and the police, leaving one of the suspects, Mr Class Kgabo, dead at the scene after he had been shot by the police.

The drama unfolded just before 06:00. The four suspects were tailing a Coin Security vehicle shortly after it had loaded money into an ATM at the Elim Spar complex. Members of the police’s specialised unit in Polokwane were, however, waiting for them, following a tip-off regarding a possible armed robbery to take place in the area that morning. As the security firm and the suspects´ vehicle left the shopping complex, the police intercepted the suspects´ vehicle, ordering them to stop.

According to provincial police spokesperson Col Ronel Otto, the suspects opened fire on the police and a shoot-out followed. The suspects´ vehicle swerved from the road, ending in a ditch, with three of the four suspects managing to escape. One suspect was not so lucky and was shot dead at the scene. It was, however, not long before the police managed to arrest the other three suspects, after searching nearby houses.

According to Warrant Officer Kedibone Mabatha, spokesperson for the Waterval Police Station, although the suspects confessed to another armed robbery that had taken place in the area in the past, it is not yet known if the the suspects are linked to the Tshakhuma armed robbery that took place in June 14, just a week before the Elim incident.

He confirmed that the two were charged with a count of conspiracy to commit an armed robbery. The case was postponed to Friday, July 2.

The incident bears a striking resemblance to the Tshakhuma armed robbery, where three masked armed robbers overpowered three security guards from G4 Security shortly after they had collected money from the Spar shop. They took the guards´ firearms and managed to escape with an undisclosed amount of money. The men fled in the direction of Thohoyandou and investigations into the incident continue.