Daily Maverick
Dailymaverick logo

South Africa

This article is more than a year old

NEWSFLASH

Transport minister and her VIP protection unit robbed on N3

South Africa's Transport Minister and her security detail were robbed on Monday morning, leaving many to speculate about the lack of transparency surrounding the incident.
Transport minister and her VIP protection unit robbed on N3 Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga. (Photo: Gallo Images / Beeld / Deaan Vivier)
Velani Ludidi
By Velani Ludidi
7 Nov 2023
Facebook
75

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga and her VIP protection unit were robbed of their belongings, including firearms, while travelling between the N3 Vosloorus and Heidelberg on Monday morning.

Department of Transport spokesperson Collen Msibi said the tyres of the minister’s car were punctured by spikes, bringing it to a stop and enabling the criminals to rob the occupants.  

“This incident took place in the early hours of Monday when the minister was en route to Pretoria, between N3 Vosloorus and Heidelberg,” said Msibi. 

“Both the minister and her dedicated SAPS protection team emerged from this incident unharmed and safe. Minister Chikunga remains committed to fulfilling her government responsibilities and is deeply grateful for the overwhelming support she has received from her fellow government colleagues and the people of South Africa.” 

The SAPS VIP blue-light brigade. (Photo: X, formerly Twitter, @kg007man)
VIP blue lights. (Photo: X, formerly Twitter @kg007man)

He did not say how many vehicles the minister and the unit were travelling in and how many had tyres punctured. 

Some sources have speculated that the ministry wanted to conceal the incident to avoid public scrutiny about how a minister could be robbed with her protection unit present. 

Msibi said that he could not provide further details because the matter is being investigated by the police.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Part 4: Police and security — moving away from elite pampering to actually fighting crime

Police did not comment by the time of publication. DM

This is a developing story.

Comments (10)

Lynn Wood Nov 8, 2023, 12:36 PM

On a more serious note. I would expect any professional personal protection unit to have identified this risk (tyre spikes) and put in place risk mitigation. Specifically run flat tyres that can allow the principal’s car to continue being driven at least to a location that can be properly secured. A quick internet search suggests you can drive at 80 k.p.h for 80km on run flats. I think BMW used to fit run flat tyres as standard, not sure if that is still the case.

Andregroblerspec@gmail.com Nov 8, 2023, 02:03 PM

Well, the spikes mostly completely shred the tyres, so they are structurally not sound, i would not be surprised that if you were driving fast enough you would struggle to control the car, and or the chained spikes ends up around axles etc. Living on a road were this happens fairly regularly… driving fast is widely warned against… firstly so you can avoid and secondly to minimise damage so you can continue driving - and then ig you have to stop, you are warned to leave the vehicle and hide… unless you can shoot them, and you must shoot them as soon as you can see them, the criminals are usually violent.

James bb Nov 8, 2023, 01:36 PM

You really can't make this stuff up can you? ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaaaa

Doug Southgate Nov 8, 2023, 02:07 PM

You can't make this stuff up!!!!!

Lisbeth Scalabrini Nov 8, 2023, 02:54 PM

In the picture you can see six BMWs, five with blue lights and one without. If this is what all the ministers are entitled to combined with the out-of-the-world salaries paid to the public officials + free this and free that, it is clear why the accounts of this useless Government are in a luccicante red.

Johan Buys Nov 8, 2023, 03:10 PM

there HAS to be more to this in terms of what (not who) was in the cars. There must be softer targets to go for than a protection convoy.

William Kelly Nov 8, 2023, 04:04 PM

Don't worry minister. The talking hat will make sure that the full might of the law is brought to bear on the nefarious criminals. If he can find them....

Bill Gild Nov 8, 2023, 07:50 PM

Hilarious!

william tyler Nov 9, 2023, 06:14 AM

This sounds like a load of codswollop vehicles of that caliber are normally fitted with run flat tires so you do not have to stop, you can still drive a long way (at reasonable speeds) after loosing air pressure. Something smells!

nima egumbo Nov 9, 2023, 09:47 AM

What an embarrassment to the security establishment! Who trained the so-called VIP security? How can they be out-smarted by common criminals and be robbed without anyone of them firing a shot?

Molefe.Lebese@dcs.gov.za Nov 9, 2023, 02:21 PM

I think our SAPS protection and security unit was never beefed up properly when addressing serious crimes committed in our country. The free movement of foreign nationals from neighboring countries who are roaming our cities and national roads cannot left unnoticed. Secondly, security departments was also not held up as supremacy like it used to be during the dark days of Apartheid. Lastly, all the citizens are no longer safe under this new dispensation and poor leadership.