A 22-year-old man, Ayanda Nombebe, from Khalankomo Village in the Eastern Cape, appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court in Tshwane over a botched cash-in-transit robbery that left six suspects dead.
The Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, said Nombebe appeared in court on Wednesday where he is facing an array of charges including six counts of murder, five counts of possession of unlicensed firearms, two counts of attempted murder of police officials, conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of ammunition, and possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on Monday, February 24, 2025, in Laudium.
"Police received a tip-off about a planned cash-in-transit robbery at Attlyn Mall in Atteridgeville. Acting on the tip-off, the police arrived at the mall, spotted two motor vehicles that would supposedly be involved in the robbery and began to follow them as they were heading to Laudium.
"Police attempted to stop the vehicles, but the suspects refused to comply. They instead sped off and began to shoot at the police vehicle. After driving a few meters, the vehicles stopped, and seven suspects came out the vehicles. Thereafter, a shootout between the suspects and the police ensued resulting in six suspects dying on the scene," she explained.
Mahanjana said during the shootout, Nombebe fled to a nearby house, where he was later found and arrested.
Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the vehicles used in the attempted robbery had been reported stolen in Clayville.
Meanwhile, the matter was postponed to March 5, 2025, for bail investigations while Nombebe remains in custody.