25 February 2022
Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
Barely 24 hours had passed when South African Police Services were involved in shoot out in which 8 suspected robbers where shot and killed, 9 robbers have been killed in Botswana.
The Botswana robbery is reported to have happened in the Capital Gaberon Phase 2 Location.
Facts obtained from a Media Release by the Botswana Police Assistant Commissioner, Dipheko Motube are that, the robbers, just like in South Africa, had targeted a Cash-in Transit vehicle.
Ass. Commissioner Dipheko said that the 11 gun men robbed a Security Systems Cash in Transit vehicle of over P986 000.00 Botswana currency.
This happened yesterday morning at the Main Mall in the country’s capital.
“The robbers fled the scene and were later on followed and confronted by the Botswana Police Services and an exchange of fire ensured resulting in fatal injuries to some of the robbers.” Wrote Ass. Comm. Dipheko.
The gang constists of men aged between 20 and 35 years of Botswana and South African origin.
A 34 year old Motswana woman was arrested in the process.
Several weapons including four pistols and an assortment of AK47 Assault Rifles were recovered. A yet to be confirmed amount of money was recovered as well.
In the meantime South Africa’s Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has confirmed that a group of suspected armed robbers who on Monday exchanged extensive gunfire with police officers in Rosettenville, Gauteng were well trained and proficient in the use of firearms.
Grace Langa IPID spokesperson said the heavily-armed group comprised South Africans, a Botswana national and Zimbabweans.
Langa said that the suspect robber with Botswana nationality seemed to be the mastermind of the robbers’ operations.
“I mean, a person leaves Botswana and comes to commit a crime in South Africa and becomes a mastermind of the crime. It is saddening.”
Some of the gang members have been identified as followes,
South African: Sihle Mazibuko, 35, Qaphela, Ngubeni, 33, Menzi Shabalala, 47, Hloniphani Dube, 40, Mike Ngwadi, 47 and Kitso Mnguni, 45.
The remaining suspects are believed to be from Zimbabwe: Alex Matshebele, 40, Phendula Mvubu, 44, Andrew Tshobolo, 67, and Khulekani Nkosi, 36.
Members of National Dialogue Zimbabwe, an online debate platform have questioned the identity of the Zimbabwean suspects who were arrested in the South African robbery.
Their surnames do not rhyme with any Ndebele surname save for Khulekani Nkosi.
“Are these Ndebele Surnames?” Quizzed a debater.
“I am familiar with most Ndebele surnames and totems but Matshebele, Mvubu and Tshobolo do not sound Zimbabwean” Responded another.
The South Africans have been up in arms with illegal Zimbabwean immigrants in their county accusing these for fuelling crime.
Even the Minister of Police for South Africa, Bheki Cele, said he was not surprised that there were Zimbabweans in the gang.
Operation Dudula, a South African vigilante group has been moving about South Africa flashing out foreigners especially Zimbabweans accusing them among other woes, crime and ‘taking our’ jobs.
While crime in every nation is condoned, Zimbabweans who fked economic hardships in their country are finding themselves in between a rock and a hard place.