Commuters were trapped in terror when three armed robbers struck on a packed Golden Arrow bus on Wednesday evening during rush hour.
A 49-year-old witness says the bus was travelling on Jakes Gerwel Drive towards Mitchells Plain at 6.45pm and was filled with “hardworking and tired” mense when three men pretending to be passengers held them up at Samora Machel close to the R300.
“They boarded the bus in Claremont and went to sit at the back. They looked like normal people, so nobody suspected anything,” says the witness.
“As we approached Samora Machel, they started robbing people from the back to the front and didn’t even cover their faces.”
The father of four asked not to be identified as he gave police a description of the robbers.
He says the skelms only demanded passengers’ cellphones.
“I didn’t want to give my phone and pulled back. That is when they shoved the gun in my face and I gave it to them.
“One wore dark glasses, a red jacket and he had the gun. The other one had on blue jeans and a cap and the other one wore a black pants and a black jacket and he was the one that put all the stolen stuff in the bag.”
Another Rocklands resident, aged 33, says he boarded the bus in Kenilworth and was shocked when the men pulled a gun and started robbing commuters.
“They just took phones, no money or other valuables and demanded the driver stop the bus for them to get out, and then the driver drove straight to the Samora Police Station to make a case. They didn’t harm us, but the experience was upsetting.”
Golden Arrow Bus Service spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer confirmed the incident.
“The bus was robbed by three men and we are working closely with SAPS to apprehend these suspects and to prevent this from happening again.
“The men posed as regular commuters and paid to board the bus. We are trying to trace the (stolen) phones.”
Police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, confirms an investigation is underway and says no arrests have been made yet.