On Wednesday at approximately 3pm, a film crew shooting footage for a local reality television show was reportedly held at gunpoint and robbed of equipment worth nearly R1 million in Langa.
According to the Cape Times, the incident occurred following the completion of their work, as they were preparing to load their equipment into a vehicle parked in front of a block of flats.
Two individuals with firearms approached the crew, demanding that they load all the equipment into the work vehicle. The crew, fearing for their safety, complied with the orders. The stolen items included cameras, batteries, a Sony lens, a monitor, various accessories, mobile phones and other audio-visual equipment.
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A source informed the Cape Times that once the equipment was loaded, the armed robbers forced the crew members into the vehicle and drove to two different houses, where they offloaded the stolen goods.
‘When they were done, they threatened the crew to drive out of Langa and told them they must not go to the police station. They were so traumatised. We are grateful that no one was hurt,’ she said.
The motive behind the robbers’ knowledge of the film shoot remains unknown, and there are concerns about the possible involvement of an extortion group as sources have anonymously shared information regarding the identity of the perpetrators.
‘We have been trying to find out how they might have known about the shoot. Some people are scared to speak; others were able to share the information anonymously that the two men are known and are part of an extortion group,’ the Cape Times’ source stated.
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Langa police are currently investigating the case. According to Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk, the incident took place on Sigcawu Street in Langa, where two unidentified individuals with firearms approached the crew in a minibus.
‘According to the complainant, they were at Sigcawu Street, Langa, sitting in a minibus when two unidentified males positively armed with firearms approached them,’ he said.
‘No shots were fired, and no one was injured during this incident,’ he added.
A community leader expressed surprise over the lack of prior notification about the presence of the film crew in the area.
‘Sometimes even local police are informed so that they are visible. So it is very strange that a day later we are not aware of this matter and we were not told there would be such people coming to the area, especially carrying such valuables,’ he said.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident to come forward anonymously by contacting Crime Stop at 086 001 0111 or sending an SMS to Crime Line at 32211.
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