EAST LONDON: A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a brazen cash-in-transit robbery that claimed the lives of two security guards in East London on Sunday, 18 August 2025.
Siphelo Mkhaliphi was apprehended by a multi-disciplinary team on the same day of the fatal shooting outside Kuasers Cash and Carry on Buffalo Street. He appeared before the East London Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 20 August, facing charges of murder, cash-in-transit robbery, and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
According to a media statement by Hawks’ spokesperson, Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, the attack occurred as a Fidelity Cash Solution armoured vehicle with three security guards was collecting cash from the retail store. According to police reports, one security guard had entered the shop to collect cash while another guard stood on standby outside the truck.
As the guard emerged carrying an orange money bag, four armed suspects allegedly ambushed the team. The attackers opened fire, fatally wounding a 44-year-old security guard who was declared dead at the scene. A second guard sustained injuries and was rushed to hospital, where he later succumbed to his wounds.
The suspects fled the scene in a silver-grey Hyundai with an undisclosed amount of cash. The getaway vehicle was later found abandoned in Parkside.
A coordinated manhunt involving the Provincial Cash-In-Transit Task Team of the Hawks, East London Crime Intelligence, East London Tactical Response Team, East London Tracing team, Provincial Local Criminal Record Centre, and GDS Security led investigators to Nanaga on the N2 near Gqeberha.
Mkhaliphi was found driving a white Suzuki Ertiga, which police suspect was used as a getaway vehicle during the robbery. Investigators have positively linked him to the incident.
The case has been remanded to 27 August 2025 for a formal bail application. Police say the investigation continues and more arrests are expected.
Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, expressed his gratitude to the joint team for the swift breakthrough while calling on the public to come forward with any credible information.
Ngwenya said they remain resolute in the fight against organised crime and cash-in-transit robberies, ensuring that those who endanger the lives of innocent citizens and security personnel are held accountable.
