R200,000 Reward Offered After Two Guards Killed in Mamelodi East CIT Robbery
A manhunt is underway after two security guards were brutally killed during a failed cash-in-transit heist in Mamelodi East on Monday.
Following the attack, the Security Personnel Party of South Africa (SPPSA) has put forward a R200,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators.
The deadly ambush took place at Extension 16.
According to Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko, the suspects, traveling in a white/cream Volkswagen Polo and a maroon Volkswagen Polo, intercepted and attacked the security guards who were transporting cash.
The two guards who lost their lives were aged 34 and 41.
A third guard sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.
A shootout ensued between the suspects and the police.
While a police vehicle was damaged during the crossfire, no police officers were injured. Before fleeing, the suspects set a Mercedes-Benz on fire.
Police later discovered explosives rigged underneath the cash-in-transit vehicle.
The Explosives Unit was dispatched to the scene and safely removed the devices. Despite the violent onslaught, no money was stolen during the heist.
Two firearms belonging to the security company—a rifle and a 9mm pistol—were recovered at the scene.
Following a lead, members of Crime Intelligence and the K9 Unit arrested a 21-year-old suspect who was among the bystanders at the scene.
He was found in possession of a rifle stolen from the scene and faces charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Police have officially opened two counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, attempted cash-in-transit robbery, and malicious damage to property.
SPPSA founder and president Sello Mashula
strongly condemned the attack.
He commended the swift arrest of the 21-year-old bystander but issued a stern warning to the public against rushing to crime scenes to gather scattered money after heists.
Mashula emphasized that doing so is a criminal offense and poses severe safety risks, particularly because unexploded devices may still be active on site.
The police investigation remains active as authorities pursue all available leads to apprehend the remaining suspects.
