Incidents have been reported in villages such as Makuleke, Maphophe, Mhinga and Pha-weni. A group of thugs is terrorising spaza shop owners – with toy guns. The thugs rob them of money, cigarettes and airtime.
Marcus Agha (25) is the latest victim of the thugs.“The shop owner from Makuleke said: “Two weeks ago I was packing cold drinks into the fridge when two young men walked into my shop.
“Before I could say a word, one of them pulled out a gun and demanded money and airtime. “They took money, cigarettes and airtime before they fled. “I screamed for help and members of the community chased the thieves, but they then disappeared into the bush nearby.
“One of the thieves dropped his gun while he was being chased. “When one of the villagers picked it up, he realised that it was just a toy.
“Reporting the crime would be a waste of time because I will not recover the money and airtime I lost.” Daniel Digo (35), another victim, said: “Two men with toy guns robbed my shop.
“They took money, cigarettes and airtime vouchers worth R10 000.” When the SunTeam asked how he knew the guns were fake, he said: “While they were robbing me, a customer came in and tried to snatch the gun from one of the thieves.
“All they did was threaten to shoot him. “They left the shop without firing a single shot.” Wilson Hobyani (52), the customer who tried to stop the thieves, said: “When I entered the shop, I saw two men robbing Daniel.
“One of them pointed his gun at me. “I looked at the gun and realised it was a toy. “When I tried to snatch it out of his hand, both of the men ran away.”
Limpopo police spokesman Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said: “The possession of a toy gun is a criminal act. “Victims are advised to report such acts to their nearest police station.”
Source: Daily Sun
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