Victims hijacked, strangled, and shot in recent eMalahleni robberies
The community of eMalahleni is urged to always be crime-conscious when walking or driving in the streets.
Vosman SAPS has reported a sharp rise in violent armed robberies in the past two weeks, ranging from daylight muggings to late-night tragedies.
Armed robbery in Kromdraai graveyard
In the first incident that occurred in the morning of January 21, a woman had stopped at her home in Kwa-Guqa when an armed man forced his way into her car.
The man reportedly ordered her to drive toward the Kromdraai graveyard and started making threats about preferring to use a knife on women to drink their blood.
When his phone rang, he became distracted, and the victim smashed her elbow into his face, causing his knife to fall.
The woman told the police that she then grabbed her car keys and repeatedly stabbed the man in the face. She successfully pushed the bleeding attacker out of the vehicle and sped away to safety.
Police probe double inquests in Schoongezicht and Ackerville
https://t.co/3MUSjvMH3V #crime #inquests #wtbnews #witbanknews pic.twitter.com/mK7lU2xvpL— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) February 1, 2026
Hitchhiker robbed at knifepoint on the N4
On January 27, another incident occurred, which highlighted the dangers of hitchhiking.
A man had been hitchhiking on the N4 near Vosman when he was picked up by a driver in a white BMW without a registration number.
Instead of taking him to Pretoria, where he was headed, the men he found in the car threatened him with a knife along the way.
The victim was reportedly strangled, robbed of cash, and abandoned on a gravel road after being forced to reveal his bank PIN.
READ MORE HERE: SAPS appeals for public’s help in tracing suspects involved in brutal attack of Eskom employees in Rietspruit
Salesman robbed at gunpoint in Kwa-Guqa
Later the same day, a salesman was robbed at gunpoint in Kwa-Guqa as he moved house to house selling his products.
The victim was led toward a residence as one customer said he needed to get money, only to be approached by two men, who were armed.
One of the men held the victim at gunpoint while the other robbed him of his cash. The customer fled as the robbers forced the salesman into a passage, searched his bag for stock, and fled the scene.
Man shot and robbed in Lynnville
The police are also investigating a case of a man who was attacked by four men in the morning of January 29 on Shaka Zulu Street in Lynnville.
The attackers hit the victim with a firearm before shooting him in the left leg.
They fled the scene with his cash and phone, while he was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.
Robbers flee with six crates of breadhttps://t.co/CxyObqZHtI
#WitbankNews #emalahleni #vosmansaps #armedrobbery pic.twitter.com/v25Ifv4NKj— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) February 1, 2026
Woman robbed in Extension 10
In another armed robbery incident that occurred on January 31 around 00:00, a woman told the police that she had been walking from a local tavern when she was attacked.
She reported that she was approached by three men who stopped her and demanded her cellphone and handbag.
One of the men reportedly hit her with a firearm, and as she fell, they snatched her handbag with the phone and fled.
Lovers attacked in Extension 11
Recently, a man who walked with his girlfriend and friends in Extension 11 around midnight on February 1 was also attacked.
As he led the way with his girlfriend, followed by the seven friends at a distance, the two of them got attacked by two men.
The couple was ordered to remove their shoes. When they refused, the man was struck in the head with a firearm, knocking him unconscious.
Fortunately, his friends rushed to his rescue, scaring the attackers off.
One man has since been arrested and found with a replica gun.
Vosman SAPS is continuing with investigations into all the cases.
SAPS advises residents in communities to always be crime-conscious and be aware of crime opportunities at all times.
“Never walk around alone, and don’t talk to strangers. Be on the lookout for strange cars or people,” SAPS stated, adding that people must walk in well-lit, busy streets and in a group, if possible.
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