Two South Africans arrested over city centre robbery

THE Police have arrested some of the suspected members of a gang of robbers that struck at a cash-loan business in the Windhoek city centre on Tuesday morning last week.Three suspects were arrested on Saturday.

They appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances. Two of them are South African citizens with home addresses in Johannesburg, while the third is a Zimbabwean woodcarving seller.South Africans Tobias Skosana (25) and Lungile Brian Nyathi (29), and Zimbabwean national Ishmael Murefu (28) were remanded in custody when they made a first court appearance before Magistrate Desmond Beukes.The case against them was postponed to April 12 next year for further investigation.Sources indicated yesterday that it is alleged that only Skosana and Nyathi had been among the four well-dressed men who carried out the robbery at Africash a week ago.The other two suspects were still at large yesterday.Murefu, it was indicated, is alleged to have known of the plan to carry out the robbery, and to have received one of the cellphones stolen from people who were held up in the office of Africash.Two cellphones and some N$1 000 in cash is claimed to have been stolen during the robbery.The robbers did not get access to the safe in which the money lent by Africash was kept.The robber gang was allowed into the company’s office when they were thought to be customers wishing to arrange for loans at around 08h00 last Tuesday.Once inside the office, they pounced on the employees, tying them up with tape.One of the employees was assaulted and injured.As this was going on, people from other businesses in the Eluwa building noticed something untoward taking place, and called the Police.Police officers were at the scene within minutes, but were left empty-handed after a search of the building.Two of them are South African citizens with home addresses in Johannesburg, while the third is a Zimbabwean woodcarving seller.South Africans Tobias Skosana (25) and Lungile Brian Nyathi (29), and Zimbabwean national Ishmael Murefu (28) were remanded in custody when they made a first court appearance before Magistrate Desmond Beukes.The case against them was postponed to April 12 next year for further investigation.Sources indicated yesterday that it is alleged that only Skosana and Nyathi had been among the four well-dressed men who carried out the robbery at Africash a week ago.The other two suspects were still at large yesterday.Murefu, it was indicated, is alleged to have known of the plan to carry out the robbery, and to have received one of the cellphones stolen from people who were held up in the office of Africash.Two cellphones and some N$1 000 in cash is claimed to have been stolen during the robbery.The robbers did not get access to the safe in which the money lent by Africash was kept.The robber gang was allowed into the company’s office when they were thought to be customers wishing to arrange for loans at around 08h00 last Tuesday.Once inside the office, they pounced on the employees, tying them up with tape.One of the employees was assaulted and injured.As this was going on, people from other businesses in the Eluwa building noticed something untoward taking place, and called the Police.Police officers were at the scene within minutes, but were left empty-handed after a search of the building.