A group of female congregants were left traumatised after two armed men stormed their church in Mkhuhlu near Hazyview and robbed them of cash and other belongings on Sunday, August 3.

Members of the Pentecost Church were about to pray when the men, their faces hidden by balaclavas, entered the church at 12:40.

The robbers were armed and fired shots into the church ceiling. They demanded cellphones and collected wallets, handbags and vehicle keys. They also took the cash collection, amounting to R1 220, contributed by the church members,” explained Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli.

He said the robbers fled in a white Toyota Fortuner belonging to a 61-year-old congregant. The vehicle was later found abandoned in Marite Trust, near the Carlton fuel station.

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Mdhluli added that handbags and car keys were found in the vehicle, but the cellphones and cash were missing. Police also recovered several spent cartridges inside the church.

No arrests had been made at the time of publication. Mdhluli urged anyone with information to contact the nearest police station, call the SAPS toll-free number on 08600 10111 or use the My SAPS app.