On Thursday, 9/21, local farmer militiamen in South Africa stopped a gang of 15 armed robbers armed with AK-47s who had just robbed an armored car, killing the driver. The local volunteers apprehended the fugitives after a high-speed chase, including a dangerous Mozambican criminal wanted for murder of a police officer.
The robbery took place in Hoedspruit (Hat Springs) outside Polokwane in Limpopo Province, which were named Pietersburg and North Transvaal by the original settlers before the campaign to ethnically cleanse the Afrikaner language and culture from South Africa.
Heavily armed attacks on armored cars are so common in South Africa they are known as Cash-in-Transit heists (CIT).
Hero farmers from Hoedspruit kills 4 CIT robbers and wounds 3 after police flee the scene.
Full story:
Today, 22/09/2023, 15 robbers armed with automatic rifles carried out a CIT heist in Hoedspruit, killing the driver Fidelity driver. Police fled the scene when the robbers… pic.twitter.com/QtHq8KsaYp
— Willem Petzer (@willempet) September 22, 2023
According to police spokesman Colonel Matimba Maluleke, the suspects shot at the escort vehicle before disarming the guards (a driver and crew) of their official rifle and pistol. “Unfortunately the two guards were shot at and sustained injuries that resulted in the death of the driver. The suspects then pursued the armoured vehicle while shooting at it until it stopped.
The driver of the armoured vehicle and his crew were allegedly ordered to disembark the vehicle, disarmed of two firearms and chased into the nearby bushes. The suspects used explosives to blast the vehicle and made off with an undisclosed amount of money,” Maluleke said.
“A community crime watch group, Hoedspruit Farmwatch, was alerted to the incident and went in pursuit of the robbers, putting obstacles on the road to prevent their escape. A shootout ensued,” Petzer writes.
It is further reported that the suspects started shooting at members of Hoedspruit Farmwatch who in self-defence returned fire. During the shootout, four suspects were killed and one (28) was injured and arrested on the spot. The other suspects ran into the nearby bushes and…
— Ian Cameron (@IanCameron23) September 23, 2023
“The Hoedspruit Farmwatch volunteers blocked the roads outside of Hoedspruit with boulders after they were alerted of the attack. A skirmish, lasting about 20 minutes, ensued at one of the blockades between the robbers and the farmers, who were armed with pistols. The farmers managed to kill 4 of the robbers and wound 3. No farmer was hurt. The other suspects fled into nearby bushes after the shootout on foot.”
“The Hoedspruit farmwatch tracked them down using their dogs and arrested the rest of them, recovering all the money from the heist. Great job by the farmers!” Petzer writes.
Hoedspruit Farmwatch denied that South African Police Service officers had fled the scene.
MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF HOEDSPRUIT FARMWATCH
Hoedspruit Farmwatch would like to thank everyone for the positive response and support being received so far. We are very proud to serve the community of Hoedspruit and our immediate surrounds and it is an honour to be part of such a…— Ian Cameron (@IanCameron23) September 23, 2023
Police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the community protection team “returned fire and when the dust settled, four suspects were fatally shot, one injured and arrested while others managed to evade arrest by running into nearby bushes,” The Citizen reports.
The fleeing duo was “arrested while travelling to Acornhoek in a taxi following an intense search mission by the Hoedspruit Farmwatch, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation and a chopper,” Ledwaba stated.
“One of the arrested suspects is a highly wanted Mozambican suspect who has been on the run for some time for a spate of crimes he committed in the Free State in 2022 including the murder of a police officer. The injured suspects were found in possession of suspected stolen money, a rifle and a pistol,” the police spokesman said.
Several community safety organizations met Sept. 19 in Centurion to join forces to to curb farm attacks and rural crime, including AfriForum, Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI), Transvaal Agricultual Union TLU SA, AgriSA, Forum Sekuriteit, Sakeliga, the South African Special Forces Association (SASFA) and the Association for South African Military veterans, AfriForum reported.
“AfriForum is excited about the fact that all these organisations are willing to join hands and make a difference against the wave of farm attacks and increasing rural crime. The SAPS itself has already admitted that it cannot fulfil its mandate, and this is obvious when one looks at the chaotic state of crime in the country. It is now time for communities to safeguard themselves,” said Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s spokesperson for Community Safety.
According to Dr. Theo de Jager, executive director of SAAI, the different organizations, civil structures and agricultural unions have feet on the ground when it comes to rural security: “Some organisations have farm watches in remote areas or camera systems, radio networks, emergency centres or response units. Others post guards, patrol national roads or establish and manage private fire services. Ultimately, everyone is in the same industry and has one goal in mind – to secure communities where the government can no longer do it,” said De Jager.
AfriForum’s Security Head Jacques Broodryk on Farm Murders: