Mbombela residents escape armed ambush in West Acres
The two men said they were just coming back from work when they were ambushed in West Acres, Mbombela.
Two brothers-in-law narrowly escaped death when they were ambushed by gunmen as they were arriving home in West Acres on Monday evening, July 18.
At least eight bullet casings were fired at the two men in what is thought to be an attempted hijacking in Protea Crescent. West Acres residents quickly took to social media to get clarification about the shots heard ringing through the neighbourhood at 19:10 on Monday.
The family said they wished to remain anonymous, as the shooters remain at large. “I stopped the car in front of the gate for my brother-in-law to get out and open it. A silver Toyota Etios Cross pulled up behind us and two men got out. When I looked out of my window, there was a man pointing a gun at me,” said one of the brothers-in-law.
“I immediately just threw the vehicle into reverse and began pulling back up the road.” The man at the gate said he saw his brother-in-law reversing up the road all of a sudden and started running after him.
“They were already shooting, and as I ran to get back into the bakkie, I could just feel all the bullets flying past me. “As I got to the passenger-side door of the bakkie and tried to get in, a bullet hit the windscreen and the glass hit me in the face, cutting my cheek. I feel very lucky to be alive,” he said.
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The two family members said the two gunmen followed them for several metres up the road on foot before getting back into their car and speeding off. “I am glad I did not switch off the vehicle when I stopped at the gate, otherwise I would not have been able to get away,” said the driver.
The incident was caught on a neighbour’s CCTV, the footage of which has been loaded on the Lowvelder website.
The family said that upon further investigation, they found CCTV footage from the Sonpark area that showed the Etios had followed the two relatives from the corner of Samora Machel Drive and Bell Street all the way to Protea Crescent.
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“We are not sure what they wanted: did they want to hijack us, did they want to rob us? We are not sure, but we are thankful we are safe,” said the one. The family also thanked Securicon Lowveld, which was on scene within minutes of the incident. “Securicon Lowveld was here so fast and let us know when it was safe to go back to the house. We want to thank them for their assistance,” he said.
“I want people to know that this can happen to anyone at any time, anywhere. People need to always remain vigilant and be aware of their surroundings. Do not switch off your car when you get to your gate, and be ready for anything,” he warned.
A provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, confirmed the incident and said a case of attempted hijacking is being investigated. In a separate incident in Steiltes on Monday evening, Mdhluli said a house in Squirrel Street was robbed and a car was stolen. “A man was at home playing cards with his friends when he saw two armed men enter the house,” said Mdhluli.
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“The two armed robbers held the men at gunpoint and demanded their cellphones and the keys to a Nissan Micra, which they stole.” He said the total value of the items stolen was R175 000.
Hi-Tech Nelspruit was dispatched to the scene and was able to trace the vehicle, which was later found and recovered from the KaNyamazane area. “The quick reaction of the public, our officers and police resulted in this successful recovery. Well done to all involved,” said Hi-Tech in a Facebook post about the robbery.
Mdhluli said four cases of theft out of vehicles around Mbombela were also reported on Monday July 18.
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