Three crèches hit by robbers
Three Ga-Rankuwa creches were robbed on the same morning within minutes of each other.
Armed robbers hit three crèches within minutes in Ga-Rankuwa on Tuesday.
The three attackers held staff at gunpoint and took their personal belongings, including cellphones, laptops and over R40 000 in cash.
The three crèches, Kidies Ark at Zone 6, Active Young Minds in Zone 4 and Zwodwa’s Day Care in Zone 3 were robbed the same morning.
Tshidi Kekana, whose two children Lebo and Leago attend at Kidies Ark, said she was still terrified by the drama that unfolded at the crèche.
“I took them to there this morning and had to fetch them earlier than usual. I’m still shaken. You will never know what will happen next,” said Kekana.
Another parent, Refiloe Matlala, said she felt her daughter’s life was at risk at the crèche.
“Crime is a serious problem here and the police are doing very little to help,” she said.
Few of the parents said they believed the criminals had targeted the crèches because they knew that the first of the month was the date for parents to pay school fees.
At Kidies Ark, the armed gang made off with R40 000 in cash on Monday, an amount originally earmarked for a school outing.
The large sum of money had been collected at R260 per child for a trip.
A teacher, who did not want to be named, said she wasn’t prepared to let the children see gun-wielding men robbing the crèche.
She told Rekord that she stood in front of the men and pleaded with them not to harm the children.
They made off with cellphones and laptops.
The teacher said the men knew what they were looking for, having asked directly for the supervisor, who handles the finances at the crèche.
Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Mathews Nkoadi could not immediately confirm all three robberies.
Nkoadi later said he only knew about one robbery yet, adding that he was still to get details on the other two.
Active Young Minds’ crèche owner, Daniel Ditshego said three robbers fitting the same description of the men who robbed Kidies Arc and Zwodwa’s Day Care, entered his crèche earlier on Tuesday morning.
They held up staff at gunpoint in view of the kids.
A witness, who was sitting outside a neighbouring house, said one of the robbers was wielding a gun as they made their getaway.
The witness, who did not wished be named, told Rekord: “I was sitting with my back to what was happening and I heard a noise and suddenly I saw three men running out of the pre-school.”
The witness said no one was injured.
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