Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2014-04-11

A 54-year-old woman has been brutally murdered in an attempted robbery in Poppy Street in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg.

The police’s Kay Makhubela told Radio Islam that what was initially thought of as a hijacking was in fact an armed robbery.

He said the woman and her brother were returning home after closing their shop in Lenasia when they were accosted by three men at about 7pm on Friday night.

“It was not a hijacking as such. What they did was, they shot at the woman (in the head) and took a plastic bag, which she was carrying and went back to their car and drove off,” said Makhubela.

Makhubela added the robbers never took the grey BMW that the woman and her brother were driving in when they arrived home.

According to Makhubela the robbers thought that the plastic bag she was carrying contained cash from the days takings at her shop.

“They thought she’s carrying money in that plastic bag, only to find out that the bag she was carrying had empty containers, which she might have used to carry food in the morning and unfortunately they killed her thinking there was money in the bag.”

Makhubela said the police believed the armed robbery might have been planned. “If they knew that these people had a shop and the woman was going to be dropped off at that time…that’s why she was attacked in the manner.”

Makhubela said a case of murder and armed robbery has been opened and police are searching for an unidentified red vehicle that the robbers fled in.

“We believe our community will help us to trace the suspects,” said Makhubela.

(Twitter: @Faizie143)