Five armed men rob pawn shop at Mbombela shopping centre, flee with police weapon

Five armed suspects stormed a pawn shop at Matumi Retail Centre in Mbombela on July 28, stealing cellphones and an undisclosed amount of cash before escaping, according to The Citizen (Lowvelder).

Armed entry and immediate police response

Loise Chauke, acting supervisor from Vikelo Security, told The Citizen (Lowvelder) that during his patrols he saw a man pull out a firearm when the group entered the shop and that he immediately informed responding officers who were summoned to the scene.

Shots fired and weapon taken

The suspects allegedly took cellphones and an undisclosed amount of cash. When officers arrived, one of the suspects fired a few shots and took one officer’s weapon and car keys, Chauke told The Citizen (Lowvelder). The group left the scene in a dark grey Hyundai i10. Chauke said no one was injured during the incident.

Shopper describes panic

Shopper Anton van Niekerk described the scene to The Citizen (Lowvelder):

“I was on my way to get a few things at Checkers when all hell broke loose. People were screaming and shouting hysterically.”

Police appeal for information

Police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed the incident and said police are appealing to anyone with information to assist the investigation. Members of the public can contact their nearest police station or call Crime Stop on 08600 10111, The Citizen (Lowvelder) reported.

About the reporting

According to The Citizen (Lowvelder), “At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention.”

The Citizen (Lowvelder) also reported that research has shown that their community newspapers reach 75% of their market while any other daily, weekly or Sunday newspaper doesn’t exceed 20%.

The Citizen (Lowvelder) said Gia Radnai is a senior journalist at Lowvelder who joined the editorial team in 2025 and started her career as a business journalist in 2022. The Citizen (Lowvelder) reported that she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a news reporter and is known for her community and hard news stories.