By Rex Mphisa
TWO passengers aboard a Harare bound Delta bus died during an armed Robbery, police in Limpopo Province, South Africa have said.
The incident happened on the N1 freeway and police in Mokopane, under the Waterberg District, have launched a massive manhunt for a group of armed suspects responsible for the fatal incident.
The deceased are a man and a woman shot during a melee in which a male passenger attempted disarming the robbers.
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, Ledwaba said in a statement.