- A robbery at a coffee shop in Gqeberha sparked heated conversations about the high level of crime in South Africa
- A video of the incident went viral and shows how the suspects targeted the valuables
- The discussion ranged from those who believed the robbery was a cover for a specific target, to those demanding strict legal consequences.
With 10 years of experience, Tebogo Mokwena, News in Brief' The Deputy Head of South Africa's Current Affairs Desk provided information to the Daily Sun on the criminal justice system in South Africa, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry and high-profile cases.
Source: Twitter
gqebaraha, Eastern Cape– A robbery at a coffee shop in Gkebarha, Eastern Cape has resulted in a contest of opinions on the level of crime in the country.
Journalist Yusuf Abramji posted a video of this incident on his website. @abramji x account. The time-stamp of the video shows that the robbery took place on the morning of 9 April 2026. The video started with a simple coffee shop scene: customers using their laptops while enjoying Eat Coffee shop offered. The peace of the morning was broken when a group of three people entered the establishment.
Gqebarha coffee shop robbery goes viral
The three men spread out in the shop and immediately started taking laptops. One of them took the laptops of two women sitting near the door. Then he took the laptops of two customers standing facing the door. Another suspect took the laptop of a woman who was sitting farthest from the video frame. After this the suspects left.
Look video on x Here:
What did the South African Police Service say?
In a statement, South African Police Service (SAPS) sent Briefly News Eastern Cape SAPS spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said one of the victims opened a case after the incident. Two MacBook laptops and other laptops were stolen. The suspects then fled the scene in a Hyundai i10, and no one was injured during the incident.
Source: Twitter
South Africans discuss robbery
The comments section featured a colorful variety of comments as South Africans shared their thoughts, questions and concerns.
Nangoma said:
“These are the socio-economic consequences of high unemployment, high electricity and high fuel costs. Furthermore, corruption steals opportunities from which our people could benefit.”
Mursivi Themba commented:
“If we are to win this war we need a different approach to crime in this country. There will be no more leniency in dealing with criminals.”
JN was angry.
“The ANC's 'soft touch' approach to crime has produced good results for criminals. The ANC ensured that criminals enjoyed life in South Africa, while victims suffered. We need a government that will be tough on criminals in South Africa.”
Bobatse said:
“They're probably after a specific laptop. They left a lot of valuables out there to be random.”
Kgomotso #WarAgainstCrime said:
“I hope they have been arrested by now. The criminals are the result of weak enforcement of the law by our government and the tolerance shown towards crime. Peace-loving people in a well-functioning country should never have to go through this.”
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Source: News in Brief