Gunmen rob passengers after Intercape bus breaks down in Pietermaritzburg

Passengers on an Intercape bus were accosted by gunmen when the bus broke down on the R56 Richmond Road, near France township in Pietermaritzburg, on Thursday.

“I could not sleep after the terrifying ordeal,” said one of the passengers, Lungi Shezi from KwaZulu-Natal

Shezi, who was travelling to Gqeberha from Pietermaritzburg, said the bus was carrying passengers from Durban and Pietermaritzburg as far as Cape Town.  

Barely 15km from the Pietermaritzburg stop, the bus experienced mechanical failure. 

“We had to contend with sitting on the side of the road in the heat. A mechanic who came to fix the bus had no luck. Another bus was commissioned,” said Shezi. 

The gunmen pounced when luggage was being transferred from one coach to the other.

“I literally thought this was my last day on earth considering what had happened to my family member the previous week. I thought I too would die through the barrel of the gun,” said Shezi. 

The bus driver then drove passengers to the nearest police station where they reported the matter.  

Intercape confirmed that a bus that was carrying 39 passengers and two crew from Durban to Cape Town had suffered mechanical problems. 

“We express our concern over this criminal incident and are working with the relevant authorities,” it said, adding that it was in contact with the affected passengers.  

Police spokesperson Const Thenjiswa Ngcobo said Thornville police were investigating a case of robbery. 

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