Ethiopian trader robbed twice – in two days

Lightning usually never strikes the same place twice. But it did for a 22-year-old Ethiopian business owner who was shot and robbed twice in two days.

On Wednesday, as the business was recovering from a gunshot injury, he once again became a victim to a brazen robbery.

This just two days after he was initially targeted.

The incidents occurred at the corner of Fana Khumalo Street and Zondi Way in Amountana in KwaZulu-Natal.

Despite nursing his wounds, the Ethiopian found himself at the mercy of three robbers who forcefully entered his shop.

The robbers robbed him of an undisclosed amount of money, two cellphones and an undisclosed quantity of cigarettes.

To make matters worse, they fled the scene using his vehicle, a white Nissan NP 200 bakkie.

Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), the Verulam-based armed response company, arrived at the scene to assess the situation.

The victim gave his statement, detailing how the three men had entered his shipping container store and forcibly took his belongings.

In response, Rusa personnel launched an extensive search operation, successfully recovering the bakkie which was abandoned nearby.

A Rusa spokesperson, however, said no arrests were made for both incidents.

Furthermore, the victim was unable to identify the three robbers in the second incident, thereby failing to make a connection between the two robberies.

“The first robbers were not arrested and he could not confirm the second robbers.

He mentioned that he could not recognise the robbers. So it is possible that it is not the same people,” the Rusa spokesperson said.

Rusa said on Monday the victim suffered a gunshot wound to his leg during the first robbery.

The repeated targeting of the victim’s business raises significant concerns about the effectiveness of existing security measures in the area and the safety of residents and business owners.