23 February 2022
Charlene Thabisile Mguni
At least 8 robbers died in the Rossetenville shootout that took place yesterday in Johhanesburg South Africa.
A mini war erupted between the South Africa Policies Services, SAPS, and the suspected robbers when the police chose to go on a full scale shootout with 25 robbers.
Amongst thr robbers were Zimbabweans.
The suspected robbers were alleged to have been involved in a botched cash-intransit robbery which they had targeted.
South African Police Minister, Bheki Cele, on the scene said that eight of the gunmen died during the shoot out after they had opened fire on the SAPS while eight others were arrested and the rest fled.
Of thosee arrested, 4 were South Africans, 3 Zimbabweans and 1 MoTswana.
Zimbabweans have been stereotyped as criminals in South Africa, according to Min. Bheki Cele’s statement.
He exclaimed as he expressed the fact that Zimbabweans were on the list.
“Suprisingly, without fail expect one, who comes from Botswana, were all from Zim and KZN, suprisingly. I think 4 of them were from KZN, the rest is from ZIM and 1 from Botswana”.
Johhanesburg Provincial Police commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela said the group was plotting a cash-in-transit bombing but unfortunately the SAPS intelligence team was ahead of the robbers’ plans.
He said, “There was a money truck which they were observing and they were going to hit, but our members said prevention is better than cure”.
This comes as a low blow for Zimbabweans who are facing series of stereotypes towards crime and unrest in South Africa.
Crime in South Africa is often said to be perpetrates by foreigners which include mostly Zimbabweans, Nigerians and Pakistanis.
In the company of SABC News crew and other reporters Minister Bheki Cele is heard question those eight robbers who were caught of their origins. Although the sound is poor in the video footage, some of the respondents are heard saying they are Zimbabweans.
This leads to Min. Cele’s assertion that he was not suprised Zimbabwean were part of the gang because Zimbabwenas always on top his list of crime offenders.
The ENCA News Twitter handle, the same Cele video was tweeted other twitter users thus responded,
Mushavhi Sadiki@ Marndie1 sarcastically said,
“…@Julius_S_Malema come and see what your Zimbabwean brothers are doing”.
Another comment said,
“Let’s see if people will call for removal of Batswana in SA cause the gang had Batswana in it”,
In response to that, one follower tweeted and said,
“We call for the removal of foreigners, Zimbabwean in particular”.
Zimbabweans are faced with difficult challenges in the neighboring country, having being faced with termination of work permits in South Africa, and Operation Duduka which has been ongoing for a while which is an operation aimed at chasing foreigners specifically Zimbabweans out of South African.
Many Zimbabweans in South Africa have fled economic hardships back home. Once the country was a beacon of wonderful life, unfortunately mismanagement of the country’s expanse resources led to the collapse of the Zimbabwean economy.
Over the past decade the situation has gotten worse leaving many flocking down south.
In recent months Zimbabwe was enveloped in armed robbers involving retired and serving armed forces personnel all due to the failing economy.