Gunmen abduct and steal Randfontein teachers at school

On Friday, gunmen entered AB Phokompe High School in Randfontein under false pretenses. They then robbed employees and stole laptop computers. The gunmen who grabbed their possessions also tied up and held captive the staff.

Panyaza Lesufi, MEC for Education, stated that two armed individuals arrived at the school on Friday afternoon and claimed to have an appointment with the principal. “The men held several educators, as well as the principal, hostage. Subsequently, the alleged robbers proceeded to take the personal belongings of the educators and the principal, including items such as cellphones, jewelry, money, and five laptops.’’

“It is alleged that the men sought to gain access to the school’s strong room and were explicitly looking for an employee in charge of the strong room keys. The men fled the scene in a getaway car without gaining access to the strong room.” Nobody got wounded, according to Lesufi. Counseling would be provided to employees.

“We condemn this cowardly act of targeting our schools by criminal elements in our communities and call on the Randfontein community to assist the police in bringing those responsible to book. We call upon law enforcement to apprehend these suspects and bring them to justice,” Lesufi said. Colonel Kay Makhubele, a Gauteng police spokesperson, stated that around 2.30 pm, the principal was in his office with one of the teachers when two gunmen came and sought their telephones, which they surrendered.

He claimed the suspects bound both victims with cable ties and warned them not to move. “The unknown suspects proceeded to the other offices where they found the other teachers whom they also tied up. They took the teachers’ cellphones, jewelry, money, and the school laptops.

“After the robbery, they fled the scene in a grey VW polo with registration number HX 22 JX GP. The registration was tested but found that the suspects used a fake registration number.