FILE PHOTO
A young man from Khalankomo Village in the Eastern Cape appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on a string of charges related to a planned cash-in-transit robbery in Pretoria on Monday.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the charges include six counts of murder, five counts of possession of unlicensed firearms, two counts of attempted murder of police officials, conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of ammunition, and possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle.
Mahanjana said six other suspects were killed in a shootout with the police, but the accused, identified as 22-year-old Ayanda Nombebe, fled to a nearby house where he was found and arrested.
According to the NPA, on Monday, 24 February 2025, the police received a tip-off about a planned cash-in-transit robbery at Attlyn Mall in Atteridgeville.
“Acting on the tip-off, the police arrived at the mall, spotted two motor vehicles that would supposedly be involved in the robbery and began following them as they headed to Laudium [in Centurion, Pretoria].
Mahanjana said while driving on Military Road in Laudium, police attempted to stop the vehicles, but the suspects refused to comply.
She said, instead, they sped off and began to shoot at the police vehicle.
“After driving a few meters, the vehicles stopped, and seven suspects came out the cars.
“Thereafter, a shootout between the suspects and the police ensued resulting in six suspects dying on the scene. During the shootout, the accused fled to a nearby house, where he was found and arrested,” she said.
Further investigations revealed that one of the vehicles used in the attempted robbery had been reported stolen in Clayville.
In court, the matter was postponed to 5 March 2025 for bail investigations while the accused remains in custody.
