Don’t carry cash – Saps

Women participating in stokvel social clubs are at serious risk of robbery if they continue to distribute collections in cash, especially during the festive season, Limpopo police say.

Urging all residents to be vigilant during the end of year holidays, Lieutenant-Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said yesterday: “We have made this earnest call throughout the year as part of our ongoing crime awareness campaigns.

“However, we still find members of the community not being responsible, especially in carrying cash.”

Last week, women were robbed of large amounts of stokvel cash in two separate robberies in the Tzaneen area.

In the Bolobedu policing area outside Tzaneen, a 54-year-old woman was robbed of stokvel money immediately after she got home from the bank.

At midday on Thursday, two cars stopped in front of her home just after she had gone inside. Three men followed her in and robbed her, Ngoepe said.

In another incident in Modjadjiskloof, also outside Tzaneen, a 42-year-old woman was robbed of stokvel money at Goudplaas on Friday.

Six armed men broke into her house when she was asleep and robbed her of the stokvel money and children’s clothing.

Ngoepe said stokvel members would be better advised to use electronic fund transfers to distribute money, instead of cash, to prevent robberies such as these.

No arrests had been made in either incident. Police appealed to anyone who might have any information about the robberies to contact Lieutenant-Colonel Cecil Machimani on 082-451-7181, or the Crime Stop number, 0860010111, or the Crime Line SMS 32211.

We still find members of the community not being responsible, especially in carrying cash. Moatshe Ngoepe Limpopo Saps