News

Continued ATM bombings plague South Africa

May 31, 2012

So far this year, 17 ATMs have been bombed in Cape Town, South Africa, possibly the work of syndicates from other parts of the country.

According to a report at Independent Online, the latest bombing occurred this Wednesday. Authorities are working across agencies to stem the bombings as they previously did in two other provinces, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Institute of Security Studies senior researcher Johan Burger told the Independent that an explosives expert was probably part of the syndicate. It would take a trained expert to blow an ATM without destroying the cash box, he said.

Another article by the Independent seems to indicate that while the bombings in KwaZulu-Natal may have been stemmed, they have not been stopped altogether. That province experienced yet another ATM bombing — also on Wednesday night — in the town of Bergville.

That bombing was followed by a shootout with police and a high-speed chase, the Independent reported. Police told the publication that no one had been injured; it was not clear whether any suspects were arrested.

For more on this topic, visit the security research center.