Two areas in the Carletonville CBD had to be closed off temporarily this week after robbers fired shots.

The area around the Gateway Mall in Osmium Street was declared an active crime zone and residents were told to stay out of the area on Monday morning. The chaos was caused by an incident that took place just after 10:00.

The manager of the Ackermans branch inside the mall was busy at the door when four unknown men walked in. The men spoke isiZulu and one of them was armed.
The criminals walked to a cashier and instructed her to open the cash register.

They grabbed the money inside and proceeded to the cabinet where cellphones were displayed.

Unfortunately for them, staff were still packing out the cellphones and there were only a few to steal.

While the robbers were busy inside the store a guard of Fidelity Cash Solutions arrived to pick up money. The guard walked into the store as he was not aware that a robbery was taking place.

The robbers, however, spotted him immediately and grabbed him before he realised what was happening. They forced him to the back of the store, searched him, and grabbed his firearm. They then shot him in the jaw.

The ruthless criminals then ran out of the store, leaving the few cellphones they could have taken, and jumped into a white Toyota Corolla outside the store.

Although police and emergency services rushed to the scene, the criminals managed to escape.

The guard, who was seriously injured, was taken to hospital and was still in a serious condition in Milpark Hospital by printing time.

Meanwhile, another armed robbery took place on the morning of November 21.

Three residents of Carletonville, two men, and a woman, parked opposite Nedbank at approximately 10:15 to deposit money for the Dinare Burial Society.

The residents, who are all Lesotho nationals, had just climbed out of their vehicle when two unknown men ran up to them and tried to grab the bag with money. A struggle ensued between the robbers and the 35-year-old resident carrying the money.

The criminals took out a firearm and started shooting at the three victims.
They killed the man holding the money and shot the 54-year-old man with him in the stomach. Luckily the woman (49) managed to escape uninjured.

“I just heard people screaming and saw them fighting for the money. When I started hearing shots, I ran for cover,” says a parking guard, Simphiwe Ndabankulu, who was around when the murder took place.

“These criminals must have known that the people were coming here with the money. People must be careful as we see more criminals around,” says the observant parking guard.

By printing time none of the perpetrators in the two attacks had been arrested.