N1 horror: Gunmen open fire inside cross-border bus from Joburg to Zimbabwe, killing passengers
During the robbery on the bus in Limpopo, the robbery fired several shots, fatally wounding a male passenger in his 30s, and a woman estimated to be in her 20s.
Image: Cross Border Busses/Facebook
Police in Mokopane, under the Waterberg District in Limpopo, have launched a massive manhunt for a group of armed suspects after two passengers were fatally shot and robbed inside a bus along the N1 freeway.
Images shared online show a child clutching at the body of her lifeless mother, covered in blood, seated in the bus. Other pictures show the body of the deceased man, and the bus surrounded by emergency medical services vehicles.
Provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, said the horrific incident occurred on Wednesday night, before 10 pm, approximately eight kilometres before the Nyl Plaza tollgate.
“Reports indicate that the complainant, a 42-year-old bus driver from Zimbabwe, had departed from the Power House (bus station in Johannesburg) driving a Volvo 60-seater bus with 54 passengers on board. The driver had picked up passengers at various points, including Midrand and Pretoria en route to Zimbabwe,” said Ledwaba.
It is alleged that along the way, two male passengers seated at the back of the bus suddenly produced firearms and pointed them at the other passengers.
One male passenger, aged around 30, whose identity is not yet known, attempted to disarm one of the assailants, while several others also tried to intervene.
“During the struggle, the suspects fired several shots inside the bus, fatally wounding the 30-year-old male passenger and an unknown female, estimated to be 25 years old,” said Ledwaba.
The suspects then robbed passengers of an undisclosed amount of cash and cellphones.
Police said an unknown vehicle — whose make, model, and registration number are not yet known — had been following the bus and stopped behind it after the shooting. The attackers fled from the bus, entered the vehicle, and sped away from the scene.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has opened cases of two counts of murder and armed robbery. No arrests have been made, and investigations are continuing.
Provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe.
Image: SAPS
Meanwhile, the provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has strongly condemned the incident and directed that a dedicated task team be established to track down the perpetrators.
“Anyone with information that can assist in the apprehension of the suspects is urged to contact the investigating officer, Sergeant Matsipi Makwela, on 076 786 1447; the Crime Stop number, 08600 10111; the nearest police station; or use the MySAPS App,” police appealed.
In 2023, IOL reported that police in North West had heightened visibility and patrols following two incidents where buses transporting foreign tourists were attacked in the province.
At the time, Colonel Adéle Myburgh, provincial police spokesperson in North West, told IOL that they were probing the two incidents in which buses ferrying tourists were attacked by armed robbers.
“We can confirm that the (second) incident did occur on December 2, 2023 in the morning. Eleven tourists were in a tour bus, a Toyota Quantum, on the R556, in the Mooinooi area, when their bus was allegedly stopped and the tourists robbed of their personal property and cash by four armed suspects,” she said.
Myburgh said the 11 tourists were six Germans, two Polish, two British, and an American citizen.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
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