- Three men robbed women at a stokvel gathering before fleeing in a red sedan without number plates, police say.
- In a separate attack in Mokwakwaila village, gunmen targeted a homeowner who had recently received money at a gift-giving celebration.
Sixteen women gathered to collect their year-end stokvel savings in Limpopo were robbed of R30,000 by armed men.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the women were meeting at a house at about 8am on Saturday, 7 November, when three men entered.
One wore a balaclava and two carried pistols.
“It is alleged that three unknown men, one wearing a balaclava, entered the house. Two of the suspects were armed with pistols and pointed their firearms at the women while demanding money,” said Ledwaba.
The men allegedly took the stokvel contributions before searching the women.
Ledwaba said 11 women were also robbed of additional cash collected from other stokvel groups, as well as their cellphones.
The suspects fired shots before escaping in a red sedan without number plates. Police said an unidentified woman was allegedly driving the getaway car.
The attack followed another robbery in Mokwakwaila village in the early hours of Sunday, 1 November.
Two armed suspects stormed a homestead demanding money the homeowner had recently received at a xiseveseve celebration.
Xiseveseve is a gathering where friends shower someone with money and gifts.
The robbers searched the house and took an undisclosed amount of cash. One fired several shots before they fled.
The attacks come as stokvel members prepare to collect savings intended for groceries, household goods and school costs.
Sonia Morobela, from Ramotshinyadi, expects to receive R17,000 from her group in December.
She plans to buy a fridge and groceries and put money towards next year’s school fees.
“We don’t believe in banking our money, because the banks also charge us fees and come with a lot of admin. On the day of collection we just want to leave with our hard-earned cash,” she said.
Morobela said each member contributes at least R500 a month. The money is lent to members, who must repay it by December.
At the year-end gathering, members receive payouts according to how much they saved during the year.
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant-General Jan Scheepers condemned the robbery and urged stokvel groups to avoid keeping large sums at private homes.
“We urge community members to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures when handling money,” said Scheepers.
“Stokvel groups should consider safer alternatives, such as banking their contributions, rather than keeping large sums of cash at homes, where they may become targets for criminals.”
He said police would intensify efforts to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
