Witbank School Bus Robbed After Athletics Meeting, 6 Teachers Survive Terrifying Encounter
- Six school teachers were robbed at gunpoint along the N4 near Witbank after their school bus got a punctured type
- The robbers laid a trap by placing rocks on the road, which burst the school bus's one tyre and caused them to pull over
- Luckily, the robbers' guns contained no bullets and no severe injuries were sustained, although they fled with many valuable items belonging to the teachers
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!
WITBANK - On Friday night (11 February), six teachers travelling back in a school bus after an athletics meeting were robbed by armed men after the bus broke down next to the N4 in Witbank, Mpumalanga.
The teachers did not know this at the time, but the robbers had laid out rocks on the highway, intending to cause damage to vehicles so that drivers would stop and the robbers could steal from them at gunpoint.
When the school bus drove over the rocks, it caused one of the tyres to burst, and the driver pulled off into the emergency lane so that he could get out and inspect the vehicle, News24 reports. Two of the male teachers exited the bus to change the tyre.
Source: Getty Images
How the robbery happened
According to The Citizen, after the men got out of the school bus to change the tyre, a group of armed men descended on the vehicle. The two male teachers were held up at gunpoint by robbers demanding they hand over their valuables.
PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel!
One of the robbers fired his gun, but there were no bullets inside, so nobody was shot. Another teacher was hit over the head with a gun. A further two shots were unsuccessfully fired. The robbers then entered the bus and robbed the teachers still inside.
The men fled the scene with cash, a smartwatch, jewellery and cellphones that they had stolen from the teachers. Moments later, a tow truck driver stopped at the scene and assisted the teachers in getting help from police and security companies.
South Africans react to Witbank school bus robbery
@Noni78994119 believes:
"Guys if we are to win this war on crime, we need to remove the ANC from power. I repeat, let's remove the ANC from power. They're responsible for this. Don't think because it hasn't happened to you that it won't. We need to let the ANC go. They've failed us."
@rinmor remarked:
"We’re under siege."
@NitosMitros said:
"My son was in those athletics. It's a shame!"
@_cand_y_ shared:
"This is very traumatic. The depression that comes after being robbed is heavy."
@robbienienaber said:
"Absolutely shocking."
Lenasia car dealership robbed by group of gunmen, 6 vehicles stolen
In other news about robberies, Briefly News previously reported that on 14 February, a group of armed men robbed a car dealership in Lenasia, Gauteng and fled with six of the dealership's vehicles, including BMWs and Volkswagens.
Colonel Dimakatso Sello, a South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, said that the group stormed into the dealership and demanded to be given the keys to certain vehicles while holding staff members up at gunpoint.
However, none of the group members fired their guns or injured anyone during the incident. A business robbery case has been opened with Lenasia SAPS and is being investigated.
Source: Briefly News
