Durban — Robbers who terrorised two Malvern women collided head-on with a truck during a high-speed chase that left one dead and five arrested on Tuesday.
The robbers held up Rosemary Rutlidge, 54, and her aunt Jeannette Pienaar, 82, earlier on Tuesday. Rutlidge was seated on her patio when two men climbed over the fence and grabbed her. Two others went to the granny flat where they robbed Pienaar.
Rutlidge said the men had cable ties, so they were ready to tie people up. Rutlidge feared that she was going to be raped if they took her to the bedroom.
“I was slapped on the head numerous times and saw my life flash before my eyes,” she said.
Pienaar said that the incident occurred around 12.40pm. She said she was lying on her bed when she heard her dog barking. At that moment, she saw one of the men jump over the wall. She immediately noticed the guns. Both women feared that if the suspects stayed for another five minutes, they would be killed.
Rutlidge said her son and an employee were also on the premises. Her son slept during the whole ordeal.
Rutlidge said that her employee ran towards the neighbours and repeatedly shouted: “They’ve got guns”, and through that the police were called.
She praised the police for their rapid response, within 10 minutes, and said that they chased the suspects on arrival.
A laptop, cellphones and jewellery were stolen.
On Wednesday, Rutlidge confirmed that two suspects were in hospital while the other two were being held in the Umbilo police station. Rutlidge and her aunt were worried that imprisonment would not benefit the suspects.
“It would not make them better people and they will come out worse as they are still young,” she said.
After the robbery, the women opted to sleep in the lounge with their dogs in case a similar incident occurred. They both said that every sound they’ve heard since the incident has triggered them emotionally.
According to the police report, the Umbilo Task Team were patrolling along Fielden Drive in Umbilo when they spotted a Toyota Corolla with suspicious occupants and matching the description of the vehicle involved in the Malvern robbery.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the suspects defied the police’s instruction to stop, and a high-speed chase ensued.
Netshiunda said the suspects drove into the oncoming traffic on Umbilo Road and collided head-on with a horse and trailer. The driver of the suspects’ vehicle died at the scene. Five others were arrested.
Police found three firearms and 19 rounds of ammunition. Two of the firearms were positively linked with house robbery cases in Malvern and Pinetown which the men allegedly committed in December 2022.
Malvern Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson Kevin Pillay described the robbers as agile opportunists who looked for easy targets.
Pillay warned residents to be vigilant. He said this group of robbers had changed vehicles several times to throw off neighbourhood watches.
On these occasions, a neighbourhood watch member spotted the robbery in progress and relayed the information to police and the CPF. Pillay said within minutes police circulated the vehicle description and the direction it was heading in. Pillay thanked the neighbourhood watch member for playing a vital role in the arrests.
“We had incidents where robbers drove past a home and spotted a resident in his yard. They got over his wall easily and robbed him. I am not saying to be a prisoner in our homes but be aware of your surroundings. On Christmas Eve, they pepper-sprayed another gentleman in his front lawn. Robbers tie up residents to give them ample time to escape,” Pillay warned.
The Malvern CPF encouraged residents to join them.
Daily News