CPF swiftly apprehend robbers in CBD
The Boksburg SAPS spokesperson, Const Ntsako Ledwaba, confirmed the incident, adding that the men are believed to be behind the spate of armed robberies in the CBD and surrounding areas.
A Boksburg High School learner’s mother expressed her gratitude to members of the Boksburg CPF for saving her daughter from muggers outside her school.
In the rare turn of events in the CBD, which is increasingly becoming the target of criminals, the thugs who robbed the learner of her smartphone were apprehended within minutes after the incident.
The phone was also recovered.
The drama unfolded just after 2pm on July 26.
The victim told her mother, Ntombi Radebe of Spruitview, that she was walking down the street after school when out of the blue a man, she initially thought was one of her fellow learners, approached her and asked to check something on her cellphone.
Unbeknown to the learner, the young man, who was with two accomplices, had plans to rob her. She complied and handed the iPhone over.
The thugs then walked away with the phone. The learner demanded that the thief return her phone, but one of the accomplices threatened her with a knife. That’s when she screamed for help and all three men ran away.
Observant members of the CPF who were nearby came to the learner’s rescue and gave chase. They managed to catch two of the suspects only a stone’s throw from the scene.
The suspects were handed over to the Boksburg police, where they were each charged with robbery.
Further investigations led to the arrest of the third suspect and the recovery of the cellphone worth about R13 000. The thugs had already sold it to someone for R280.
“I’m so grateful to the CPF, the police and the community members for their assistance. The CPF did a very good job and went as far as to organise counselling for my daughter, who was left shocked by the traumatising experience.”
