Eastern Cape transport dept crew robbed while repairing flood-damaged road
Gunmen stole the crew's bakkie.
The robbery comes days after humanitarian aid workers were intimidated while assisting people affected by flooding in the province.
A group of armed men robbed provincial transport department construction workers who were sent to repair a flood-damaged road in Cala in the Chris Hani district in the Eastern Cape.
'The incident occurred in Cala late [on Wednesday] as the workers were out to attend to a rural bridge damaged by the recent floods in a village in Cala,' Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha said.
'A bakkie driven by a group of balaclava-clad men armed with rifles approached them while working at a nearby quarry,' Nqatha added.
He added that the men tied up the workers, demanded keys to their bakkie, and removed several tyres from their tipper truck.
'They loaded them onto the stolen bakkie, and both bakkies sped off, leaving the [crew] stranded but unharmed,' Nqatha added.
The incident comes only days after Gift of the Givers Foundation aid workers were intimidated while providing essential aid to flood victims in Mthatha on Saturday.
According to the OR Tambo District Municipality, the workers were threatened by people who demanded that they stop supporting hundreds of displaced residents affected by recent flooding in the province.
Police are now escorting Gift of the Givers teams when delivering essential aid to affected people.
The Mthatha area was the hardest-hit part of the province with 68 of the total death toll of 92.
Two bodies were found on Wednesday night, including that of a teenage girl, Premier Oscar Mabuyane said in a statement. It was discovered along the Mthatha River.
Mabuyane added: 'The provincial government continues to work tirelessly to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to 4 308 individuals who have been left homeless across the province, and processes are under way to ensure the provision of temporary residential units. Significant progress has also been made in the restoration of critical infrastructure,' he said.
The premier said an intensive response and recovery effort was under way.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Police appeal after cyclist has bike stolen 'under threat of violence'
A bike was stolen 'under the threat of violence' according to police in Stockport who are now investigating. The alleged robbery occurred on Grenville Street in Edgeley, just before 8:35pm on Sunday, July 27. The suspect approached the alleged victim and 'under the threat of violence, has stolen a bronze-coloured Raleigh Motus hybrid bike' Greater Manchester Police's Stockport district said iin appeal on their Facebook page. READ MORE: 'It must have been slipped into my lemonade at my 81st birthday party' READ MORE: Man, 30, saw £1,300 Universal Credit payment hadn't arrived... the reason left him stunned Join our Stockport WhatsApp group HERE Officers have published a picture of the bike as part of an appeal for witnesses Anyone who saw what happened, or who may have information, is asked to call GMP on 101 quoting log number 3009 of July 27. Never miss a story with the MEN's daily Catch Up newsletter - get it in your inbox by signing up here -- Day in day out, our reporters in the Manchester Evening News newsroom bring you remarkable stories from all aspects of Mancunian life. However, with the pace of life these days, the frenetic news agenda and social media algorithms, you might not be getting a chance to read it. That's why every week our Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams brings you Unmissable, highlighting the best of what we do - bringing it to you directly from us. Make sure you don't miss out, and see what else we have to offer, by clicking here and signing up for MEN Daily News. And be sure to join our politics writer Jo Timan every Sunday for his essential commentary on what matters most to you in Greater Manchester each week in our newsletter Due North. You can also sign up for that here. You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to see everything we offer, including everything from breaking news to Coronation Street. If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our news desk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you'll be the first to hear about it. And finally, if there is a story you think our journalists should be looking into, we want to hear from you. Email us on newsdesk@ or give us a ring on 0161 211 2920.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Surveillance captures 2 robberies in same week at River West bar
A bar has been targeted multiple times this week in the River West neighborhood. New surveillance video shows a robbery and an assault inside while the bar was open. The two robberies have happened with customers inside the Dandy Crown bar and restaurant on Milwaukee Avenue over just the past three days, and the owner said they've been victims of break-ins before. In the first robbery that happened late Monday night, surveillance video from inside the bar shows a masked man walking in. The owner said a masked man told the bartender he had a knife. When he finds there's nothing to take from the register, he takes the purses and phones of the bartender and another woman sitting at the bar before he leaves. The second robbery was more violent. It happened Wednesday night, just after 8 p.m. Footage showed a man in all black and a baseball cap walking into the bar. At first, he's on his phone and told the bartender he's waiting for a friend. Eventually, he starts going through an employee's purse. As she tries to get her things back, the man grabs her leg and flips her over a chair before running out. Police are investigating both robberies, and no arrests have been made. The bar owner said they are putting some security measures in place and also hoping the city can help.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Coward' jailed for robbing elderly deaf woman at Westminster Tube station in central London
A 'cowardly' robber has been jailed for targeting an elderly deaf woman on the escalators of Westminster Tube station in central London. Liam McGuicken, 53, stalked the victim in her 80s from behind as she travelled down towards the platform. Her companion, also deaf, was unaware of what had been occurring behind them. McGuicken put his hands against the woman's chest, pinning her against the handrail. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but turned her face away in fear. McGuicken reached into a coat pocket and stole her wallet before getting off of the escalator at the bottom. As he got an escalator back up to the London Underground station's exit, CCTV footage shows him rifling through the purse. McGuicken, of no fixed address, was arrested a month later at Sutton railway station after he was stopped by officers in connection with fare evasion. At Inner London Crown Court on Friday, he was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing. British Transport Police Detective Inspector Alan Judd said: 'McGuicken sickeningly targeted an elderly deaf woman as she was making her way through the station, cowardly choosing to target a vulnerable woman for his own gain. 'I'm very pleased with the result, and I sincerely hope McGuicken takes this opportunity to change. 'His conviction sends a strong message that robbery will not be tolerated on the railway network.' Anyone who is the victim of a robbery or who witnessed one, can call BTP on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016.
