Four arrested for recent GABS robberies

Four suspects were recently arrested in the Cape metro in relation to Golden Arrow bus robberies. In addition, three people have been convicted of crimes associated with this sort of crime.

The recent arrests were made possible through a collaboration between GABS, the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate, which is augmented by the provincial government’s Law Enforcement Advancement Programme (LEAP) officers.

Due to efforts of law enforcement officers to catch criminals, Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) spokesperson, Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said it will unfortunately not share any information.

The bus company attributed the arrests to a number of onboard safety features, including cameras, which have been rolled out to more than 80% of the fleet with the other 20% still scheduled for fitment.

‘’Images or information relating to active cases obtained from social media or other non-official sources should also not be shared or published as they could negatively affect arrests and convictions,’’ she said.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has voiced his support for targeted interventions involving multiple role-players.

“While these arrests are welcomed, we need to look at ways to prevent crime affecting bus services altogether. This requires a coordinated approach involving multiple role players. Some long-distance bus services are also being targeted by criminals. This is intolerable. As the Western Cape Government, we will continue to invest – along with our partners - in measures to protect bus commuters and drivers,” he said.

Mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith says his portfolio is also committed to making public transport safe.

“We’ve seen an increase in attacks on buses, not only during incidents of unrest, but also robberies. Through the deployment of our resources and a close working relationship with other role-players, the City has helped to safeguard the bus service. We remain committed to doing everything possible to safeguard the thousands of commuters who rely on the service daily,” he said.

 

Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile confirmed that SAPS will continue to focus on catching these brazen perpetrators.

“To ensure the safety of commuters, SAPS in the Western Cape have prioritised the transport industry, with frequent and focused operations being conducted throughout the province, to quell the violence on local and long-distance routes and bring to book those responsible for these ruthless attacks. Inroads are being made by our investigation team as indicated by recent arrests and convictions in this regard, and we will maintain our strong stance and presence in partnership with other role-players so that we can break the back of criminality threatening the safety and security of the public transport system in this province,” he said.

GABS spokesperson, Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said the bus company operates in areas with the highest crime rates in the Metropole and believes these criminal elements do not only target its services but also surrounding businesses, motorists and pedestrians.

‘’We therefore believe that it is very important not to label these criminal acts as a Golden Arrow issue. These individuals and syndicates terrorise entire communities and must face the full might of the law.’’

‘’We are grateful to all role-players who have worked tirelessly to take these criminals off our streets. Whilst we believe that more resources are urgently needed to address the scourge of crime, we recognise that that there are many dedicated officials who deserve the highest praise for their commitment to making Cape Town safe for all of us,’’ she added.

‘’We would once again like to assure our passengers and employees that Golden Arrow will do everything possible to ensure arrests and successful convictions. We remain committed to assisting the authorities in any way that we can and will continue to lobby for the rights of our passengers and employees,’’ concluded Bronwen Dyke-Beyer, GABS spokesperson.

 

PICTURE: GABS

Done By: Mitchum George