Johnson Progress

A Delta bus traveling from Johannesburg to Zimbabwe was hijacked by armed robbers in South Africa early Thursday morning, leaving two passengers dead and several others traumatized.

The incident occurred on the N1 north between Mantsole traffic center and Kranskop toll plaza in Limpopo.

According to eyewitnesses, the bus was ambushed by armed men who boarded the vehicle and started robbing passengers.

“The suspects boarded the bus at Bosman pretending to be passengers and shortly after passing Mantsole traffic control on the N1 Bela Bela, they started robbing passengers,” said South African police spokesperson Motlafela Mojapelo.

The robbers allegedly shot two women, killing them instantly, and critically injuring another woman.

The motive behind the attack appears to be robbery, with the suspects making off with cash, cell phones, and other valuables.

“Two women were shot and killed when three armed men attacked a Zimbabwe-bound bus in the Bela Bela area in Limpopo province in South Africa early Thursday morning,” reports Team Zimbabwe.

The South African Police Service has launched an investigation into the incident, with a manhunt underway for the suspects.

“The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has ordered that the suspects be hunted down and brought to book,” said Mojapelo.

The passengers on board the bus were left shaken by the incident, with many describing the ordeal as traumatic.

“We watched helplessly and couldn’t help the man,” said Mrs. Samukeliso Mpofu, a passenger on the bus.

“The brave man continued tussling with the robbers outside and the gun discharged. We thought the passenger had been killed.”

The incident has raised concerns over the safety of passengers traveling on South African roads.

“This incident spotlights on South Africa’s violent crime scene which has seen buses fall prey to armed robbers,” reports Team Zimbabwe.

The trend has also caught up with Zimbabwe, which has seen cases of passengers robbed on board by suspects who would have boarded the buses while pretending to be genuine passengers.