ATM bombing at Honeydew Sasol garage leaves one dead
Nine masked suspects bombed an ATM, robbed employees, and looted cash and airtime at the Honeydew Sasol Garage, leaving a civilian dead amid the chaos.
An ATM bombing at the Sasol garage on the corner of Paul Kruger and Mozart roads, Honeydew, in the early hours of Friday, November 15, left one civilian dead in a shocking and violent robbery.
The incident, which occurred at around 01:45, began when a silver Polo pulled into the garage. According to a statement from Honeydew SAPS, three men entered the shop, and one purchased three headache powders. Moments after leaving, gunfire erupted, followed by a loud explosion outside.
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Witnesses reported that a group of about nine men, all wearing balaclavas, stormed into the shop after the explosion. The suspects robbed employees of personal belongings and looted the till, which contained approximately R500. The shop’s complainant, who had just deposited most of the cash into a drop safe, was also forced to load MTN airtime worth R1 800 twice for the suspects.
The suspects then fled the scene on foot, heading towards the greenbelt along Paul Kruger Road. A member of the public, who lives near the garage, fired several shots at the fleeing men but was unsure if anyone was hit.
Upon exiting the shop, the complainant discovered a white Hyundai i20 parked outside riddled with bullet holes. Tragically, the driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead on the scene by Help24 paramedics. Police have not disclosed the victim’s identity at this stage.
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The Johannesburg North SAPS district communications officer, Captain Jeff Phora, confirmed that investigators are still determining how much money was stolen during the robbery. All relevant authorities have been on-site to process evidence and investigate the matter further.
When asked about measures to prevent such incidents, Phora explained that this was an isolated occurrence and that no concerns had been raised by local business owners following the incident. “Community outreach and awareness campaigns are ongoing initiatives, and we will continue with them,” he assured.
This shocking act of violence has sent ripples through the Honeydew community. Residents and businesses are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.
Honeydew SAPS continues its investigation and urges anyone with information about the suspects or the incident to come forward.
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