70s bank robber tells all
In 1975 Greymont resident Roland Grote started robbing banks and in the early 90s he started a security company.
Now 65 years old, in 1975 Grote was in debt. He owed people large amounts of money and he moved around with his family dodging the sheriffs.
“I told my wife that we could not live like this. Our son was due to start school the following year. When I told her I had plans to rob a bank, she didn’t think I had the guts.”
His wife – who has since become his ex-wife – eventually became involved in the plan. At this time the couple had relocated to Durban from Johannesburg. Grote asked his wife to hire a Chevrolet; the same car used by police detectives at that time.
“We drove to the beachfront in Umhlanga rocks. I left her there and drove to the sugarcane fields to disguise myself for the mission. I went to the United Building Society; a block of offices made up of small banks; and showed my gun to one of the tellers.”
According to Grote he handed the teller a paper bag and left the bank with R1906. Two months later he robbed another bank and went away with R2220. By this time he had settled most of his debts.
His third robbery was not as successful – he only managed R100.
In 1976 the police arrived at his home. They had linked his wife to a hired car suspected to be involved in bank robberies.
“The police did not know who they were looking for but in their investigation they included people who had hired cars within the timeframe of the robberies.”
Grote told them that the person they were looking for was him. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but served only five-and-a-half due to good behaviour.In the early 90s Grotes was living in Greymont. He wanted to give back to his community and Greymont residents approached him about the possibility of creating a security watch.
He subsequently formed Greymont Hill Patrol Watch which later became a business. He now heads Suburban Crime Prevention (Pty).
