Sapo head of national security Vossie Vos, says the security upgrades were done at high-risk branches first, and are continuing to be implemented at their branches countrywide. The foiled robberies occurred on 4 November.
 
According to Vos, the measures include “improved alarm systems, counter screens, burglar bars, security doors, high strength safes and dye stain technology for cash that is taken as well as security guards, where advisable”. Aside from the foiled armed robberies, Sapo notes an overall annual decline in such incidents, with robberies dropping by 45% in 2020 as compared to 2019.
 
Despite the notable drop, six of Sapo’s offices countrywide were robbed by armed criminals in the same week. The robberies – five of which were in the Western Cape alone - occurred as grants by the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) were being disbursed to beneficiaries countrywide. Central South Africa was not exempt from this worrying trend, with the Botshabelo Post Office in the Free State facing the same fate as its Western Cape counterparts.
 
The Western Cape robberies took place at the Dunoon, Belhar, Charlesville, Pacaltsdorp and Dan Bay Post Offices in Cape Town, George and Mossel Bay respectively. Authorities managed to make arrests in connection with the Dunoon and Botshabelo robberies. Three men and one woman were nabbed in Dunoon, whilst in Botshabelo two suspects are in custody for their alleged participation in the armed robbery. In the latter incident, police are still in search of evidence linking the accused and their three accomplices, who are still at large, to the crime.
 
Nearly a week ago, five male suspects arrived at the Botshabelo Post Office located in Section E in a VW Polo just before midday, with one of them clad in personal protective equipment (PPE). The suspect in PPE informed security they were there to fumigate the premises. Once let onto the premises, chaos ensued. Free State police spokesperson, Motantsi Makhele says around midday, the armed gang of five entered the building ordering all staff to lie flat on the floor. 

They instructed one employee to open the safe which contained an undisclosed amount of money. Shortly thereafter they fled the scene with the cash in hand. In a twist of events, however, two of the suspects aged 37 and 39 years old were cornered at a filling station in Thaba’ Nchu over 10km from the crime scene. Authorities found a large amount of money in the vehicle.
 
Sapo’s head of security says the criminals’ modus operandi “vary continuously and the post office keeps its branch staff informed of all the modus operandi to ensure that they notice suspicious behaviour”. Vos further adds that statistics indicate that business robberies across the board are at their peak, at the end and beginning of a new month – implying this isn’t something that is specific to Sassa service points alone.  

 
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