eMalahleni hitchhiker and pedestrian fall victim to ruthless armed robbers

Police urge residents to stay vigilant and avoid accepting lifts from strangers.

1 hour ago

Lindokuhle Ndhlovu 1 minute read

Photo used for illustration purposes only.

Two men were robbed of valuables such as cellphones and driver’s licenses in separate incidents in eMalahleni.

In the first incident, which occurred on August 28 around 13:15, a man told the police that he accepted a lift from two men in a brown Suzuki Swift in Clewer.

He said along the way, the driver stopped, claiming “he needed to pee”. However, things took a different turn shortly after the driver got out of the car, as his partner suddenly pulled out a firearm and pointed it at him.

Reportedly threatening to kill him if he didn’t comply, the victim said he was robbed of his bag full of clothes, a wallet with cash, a driver’s license, and an ID card, and then his cellphone and watch.

The robbers then forced the victim out of the car and fled the scene.

Another incident occurred on the morning of August 30, in which a man alleged that he was next to a school in Kwa-Guqa when three armed men pulled up in a blue Polo Vivo.

He said the men got out of the car and robbed him of his cellphone, driver’s license, and bank card.

The victim said they then forced him into the vehicle, only to drop him off next to a crèche in the area.

No arrests have been made in either case.

Vosman SAPS is investigating both incidents and urges residents to avoid accepting lifts from strangers and to stay vigilant on the streets.

Pedestrians are urged to stay alert following an early-morning knifepoint robbery on OR Tambo Road.
Read more here: https://t.co/fLhnpHXlJD #WitbankNews #emalahleni #ORTamboRoad #Robbery
— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) September 4, 2026