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3 women shot during heist
07/11/2007 11:16 - (SA)
Durban - Police on Wednesday said that three woman bystanders were also wounded during a cash heist on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast on Tuesday.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Zandra Hechter said the injuries were reported late on Tuesday.
The three woman - Misiwe Radebe, Mesi Shange and Gabisile Hadebe - were collecting their pension payouts in the resort town of Hibberdene when they were struck by bullets.
Radebe was hit in the ankle, Shange in the hand, and Hadebe was hit in the groin.
They are recovering at CJ Crookes Hospital in Scottburgh.
The dramatic scene unfolded after 09:00 on Tuesday at the pension pay-point and ended with a high speed car chase in Port Shepstone.
Two robbers and two security guards were shot dead.
Hechter said a third robber, a policeman and a police dog were also wounded but survived.
"A pension pay-out was taking place when occupants from a double cab jumped out and opened fire," said Hechter.
Two security guards - Bhekinkosi Eric Dudeni and Linda Willard Blose - were shot as the gang members seized a "substantial" amount of cash.
One of the security guards died at the scene and a second succumbed to his wounds at a nearby clinic where attempts were being made to stabilise him.
The gang members then fled in the double cab bakkie before jumping into a VW Combi on the N2 toll road. The double cab bakkie was left abandoned on the R620.
Within minutes, police from Margate, Port Shepstone, Umkomaas, South Port and Hibberdene were alerted and a high-speed chase along Umtentweni Road followed.
The robbers opened fire on an approaching police car belonging to the dog unit.
The car was hit with fire from AK47 assault rifles and 9mm guns, injuring a policeman and his dog.
When police punctured the Combi tyres with bullets, the robbers fled down an embankment onto the R102 where they attempted to hijack a passing motorist in her Mercedes-Benz, but had no luck opening the door.
"Police began a foot chase and when the robbers saw them they fled away from the Mercedes and ran onto the Umtentweni beach," Hechter said.
Two robbers were shot and killed on the beach while a third was wounded.
A fourth robber was arrested at a nearby golf course and a fifth man was nabbed near the beach. The stolen money was found in his possession.
After 15:30, police caught another four robbers.
Police recovered "a number of AK-47 rifles and pistols".
It was not known how much money was stolen by the robbers or recovered by the police.
The six arrested robbers are expected to face charges of armed robbery, attempted murder and murder.
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