KwaZulu-Natal police are searching for at least nine suspects following a violent Ladysmith cash-in-transit heist that unfolded along the R600 Winterton Road on Monday night, 25 August 2025. The armed robbery left one motorist injured and another traumatised.
According to KZN SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the cash-in-transit heist took place near the Winterton and Bergville intersection.
Reports indicate that the suspects, travelling in a metallic-coloured SUV, intercepted the armoured vehicle. They forced it to a halt before confronting the three security guards, stripping them of their firearms. The heavily armed men then used explosives to blast open the armoured truck’s secure compartment to access the cash.
Following this, the robbery escalated, the suspects turned their weapons on passing motorists. One of the drivers, a farmer travelling from Ladysmith to Winterton, witnessed the chaos as he approached the scene.
Attempting a U-turn to escape, he came under fire as the suspects allegedly shot at his vehicle, forcing him to speed away. Another motorist was not as fortunate and sustained gunshot wounds.
According to Ziyad Warasally of ER24, the victim had been allegedly shot in the chest during the incident.
“The victim was rushed to hospital privately, and the full extent of his injuries are not known by us at this time. The three guards from the vehicle were physically unharmed, but our crew did treat them for shock,” said Warasally.
Furthermore, Colonel Netshiunda confirmed that a 53-year-old man had been shot at during the incident and sustained injuries as a result of the suspects opening fire. He further confirmed that the suspects managed to flee with an undisclosed sum of money and are still at large.
With police now launching a manhunt to track the suspects down, this incident underscores the persistent and escalating threat of cash-in-transit heists in KwaZulu-Natal, particularly in Northern KZN, where such crimes have become alarmingly frequent.
As explained by the South African Police Service (SAPS), KZN recorded 10 CIT heists in the final quarter of 2024 (October to December), out of a national total of 29, with Northern KZN areas like Ladysmith, Mtubatuba, and Stanger identified as hotspots due to their strategic road networks, such as the N2 and R74. These roads offer perpetrators quick escape routes.
Further compounding the issue, as explained by the Cash-In-Transit Association of South Africa (Citasa), KZN accounted for 34% of all CIT robberies nationwide as of 6 March 2025, up from 27% in 2024, when over 200 heists were recorded across South Africa.
As Northern KZN remains a hotspot for such robberies, the heist not only highlights the immediate threat to lives but also underlines the urgent need for sustained policing strategies, community vigilance, and stronger security measures to prevent more people from being caught in the crossfire of these increasingly ruthless attacks.
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