CAPE TOWN – Gun-wielding robbers raided Newlands Cricket Stadium just after midnight on Friday. It is the third time since 2015 that the ground has been hit by robbers, but this time the men and a woman were armed, said a senior official of the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA).
The glass doors of about 25 suites were smashed and the robbers targeted the TVs while also taking some liquor and other items in the suites, whilst also vandalizing some of the suites.
It started just after midnight when a woman approached security officials at Gate A and asked for directions to a church in the area. When she returned five minutes later to ask a similar question, three men jumped the security fences and were soon joined by more than 15 other men. Some of them had guns and forced the security officials to provide them with the keys to the iconic President’s Suite.
Their raid took less than an hour and they packed the goods onto three vehicles and then left the scene.
“The South African Police Services are busy with an extensive investigation into the event and we will also reassess our security measures, including the possibility of having more cameras installed,” said a senior official of WPCA.
PPC Newlands recently hosted the third Test against Australia and South Africa, spearheaded by Morne Morkel, who captured 5-23, won the test in emphatic fashion by 322 runs.
“As an Association we are disturbed by the robbery and will do our utmost with the help of the South African Police Services to get to the bottom of this and try and prevent a reoccurrence of this type of incident. We will seriously look within our budgetary constraints to improve our security situation at the stadium,” said a senior official of the WPCA.
“Whilst it is truly appalling for this type of robbery to take place at our iconic cricket stadium where we have enjoyed some wonderful memories this past season, we are thankful that the security guard caught up in this crime was unharmed. He has been offered the necessary counselling in order to help him recover from this ordeal,” concluded a senior official of WPCA.
