GunFacts South Africa - Getting Real about Guns!

Pretoria engineer shot during cash heist
Graeme Hosken June 05 2007 at 07:13AM

A Pretoria engineer is fighting for his life in hospital after being shot during a cash-in-transit heist outside the city. The incident also left an off-duty policeman and his wife injured.

Thinus van Tonder, 46, was shot in the chest moments after a gang of heavily armed robbers attacked a Red Eagle security van in the vicinity of Medunsa and George Mukhari Hospital on Monday.

Van Tonder, who works for Selmec, was travelling in a bakkie with two colleagues to Ga-Rankuwa when they were attacked as they drove past the heist.

The heist occurred when a gang of robbers driving a Mercedes-Benz collided head-on with the cash van travelling to a business complex in Ga-Rankuwa to collect money.

'All I know is that he is badly hurt'

Police said an off-duty inspector and his wife, who were driving behind the cash van in their maroon BMW, smashed into the back of the vehicle as it rolled across the road.

The gunmen, who are believed to have been armed with an assortment of weapons, including rifles, fled with several cash boxes moments after hijacking another passing motorist.

It is believed that the robbers shot Van Tonder after he failed to stop when they tried to hijack him.

Police swarmed through the area, using high-powered cars and a helicopter and closing off streets as they searched for the gunmen.

Van Tonder's wife, Hannetjie, said the family was traumatised by what had happened.

"At this stage I do not know what my husband's injuries are. All I know is that he is badly hurt," she said.

Van Tonder said her husband was travelling to Ga-Rankuwa for a site visit when he was attacked.

"I do not know how he got shot or why they would shoot him," she said.

Philip Macheke, who was driving the cash van, said they were on their way to collect money when they were attacked.

"I remember seeing the Mercedes-Benz driving towards us and then suddenly crashing into us before another car hit us from behind. I did not know what was happening. There was so much noise and we were rolling across the road.

"I was really scared and thought I was going to die," he said.

Macheke said that when they stopped rolling they heard people screaming and then loud bangs from the back of the van.

"When I heard chopping noises I knew we were being robbed. I tried to get out but stopped when one of the robbers smashed open the front window and screamed for the money. "I told him we did not have any and begged him not to kill me. I kept on begging and then pretended to be dead when I heard shooting."

Police spokesperson Inspector Lucas Sithole declined to say whether the robbers got away with any money.

He confirmed that a motorist was hijacked at the heist and a vehicle was used as one of the getaway cars. The two cars were found nearby shortly after the attack.

Sithole said a case of attempted murder and armed robbery was being investigated.

Netcare 911 paramedics said two of the cash van's crew were taken to a clinic while the policeman and his wife were taken to another hospital for treatment.

				Bookmark this site!


Getting REAL about GUNS
Home ::: Why GUNFACTS? ::: FCA ::: Crime Trends ::: Gun Control Failure ::: Illegal Guns ::: Legal Guns for Peace ::: Contact