Two robbery incidents within an hour in Richards Bay on Thursday place the spotlight on the need for members of the public to remain alert in public places.

Both incidents occurred at petrol stations, a warning circulated widely across social media platforms and groups.

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In both cases, the suspects approached the victims in a friendly manner, pretending to know them, before robbing them of their personal belongings.

With the festive season approaching, SAPS warn that criminals will be targeting your hard earned money for their own holiday gains.

Be alert

SAPS urges the public to exercise caution and remain vigilant during the pay out period.

This includes stokvel season, where friends and community members pool money through the year, saving it for Christmas groceries and gifts.

SAPS urges all stokvel clubs to be proactive and adopt reasonable measures to safeguard their money this festive season and beyond.

SAPS advice:

· Refrain from making cash deposits of club members’ contributions on high risk days, e.g. month end
· Arrange the club’s pay outs to be electronically transferred into each member’s personal account
· Arrange for members to deposit cash directly into their club account instead of collecting cash contributions

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