KEY POINTS
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A security officer was shot and killed during a failed CIT robbery near Mandeni, KZN, where suspects fled after explosives failed to detonate.
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Police are investigating the case and are yet to make any arrests, while the public is urged to assist with information.
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The incident highlights an escalating trend of violent CIT heists nationwide, prompting calls for tighter security measures and syndicate crackdowns.
A cash-in-transit, CIT, heist turned deadly on Saturday morning when a security officer was fatally wounded during an attempted robbery along the link road between Mandeni and the N2 highway in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to emergency responders, the armed suspects ambushed the security vehicle during what appeared to be a meticulously planned attack.
Samantha Meyrick, spokesperson for IPSS Medical Rescue, confirmed that the security team was targeted by gunfire before the attackers attempted to breach the vehicle using explosives.
“The cash-in-transit vehicle had been targeted by a group of gunmen, which led to one security officer being shot,” Meyrick said in a voice message circulated to the press. “It is believed the gunmen escaped empty-handed after the explosives failed to detonate.”
Despite rapid intervention by paramedics at the scene, the injured officer succumbed to his injuries. His identity has not yet been publicly disclosed, pending family notification. The South African Police Service (SAPS) has launched an investigation into the incident and is appealing to the public for information that could lead to the suspects’ arrest.
Wave of CIT heists raises alarm across South Africa
This latest incident adds to the growing list of CIT attacks across the country, highlighting the ongoing challenges security companies and law enforcement agencies face in safeguarding the transport of large sums of cash. Earlier in the same week, another CIT robbery in Duduza, Ekurhuleni, saw one person killed and two others injured when suspects used explosives to blow open a G4S vehicle.
Ekurhuleni SAPS spokesperson, Colonel Noxolo Kweza, confirmed that the attackers in the Duduza case made off with an undisclosed amount of money and fled in several getaway vehicles. “Police found that the suspects used explosives and fled the scene in multiple getaway vehicles,” said Kweza.
Unlike the Duduza heist, the KZN attackers failed to breach the vehicle’s vault. However, the death of the guard underscores the deadly nature of these assaults. According to provincial authorities, over 100 suspects linked to serious violent crimes, including CIT robberies, have been killed in shootouts with police in KwaZulu-Natal this year alone.
Industry experts warn that the surge in CIT attacks is being driven by highly organised crime syndicates employing military-style tactics, often leaving guards, police, and even bystanders at risk.
According to The Citizen, calls are growing for the government to fast-track intelligence coordination and equip security vehicles with advanced countermeasures.
“There needs to be a multi-pronged approach involving technology, community intelligence, and cross-border cooperation,” said Sipho Dlamini, a security analyst based in Durban. “These attacks are no longer random—they are coordinated operations.”
The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) has previously indicated that such heists tend to increase around mid-year and during festive seasons when cash demand is high.
For now, residents in Mandeni and surrounding areas remain on edge as police continue their manhunt. Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage, and security companies have urged their staff to remain vigilant.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest police station or call the SAPS Crime Stop line.
