In the early hours of Wednesday, June 5th, the tranquil night in Oakmor (Tembisa) was shattered when the Easy Pay ATM inside OBC Butchery was bombed.
The butchery, located next to the busy taxi rank where taxis are parked overnight, became the unlikely target of a brazen heist.
Bongani Mkabayi, a taxi owner who was sleeping at the taxi rank, recalled the terrifying moment. “It was around 2 in the morning. We were jolted awake by loud bangs and gunshots. The noise was so intense, I knew it would be deadly if I dared to move,” he shared.
Jonas Sopela, a long-distance driver, echoed Bongani’s fear. “We had no choice but to stay inside our cars and wait it out. The gunshots were too close, and we couldn’t tell where they were coming from,” he explained. “This is the first time something like this has happened here. We used to sleep peacefully, but now we’re not so sure anymore.”
Despite the chaos, the butchery was closed at the time, and no one was injured. The suspects escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash.
The police were alerted and are investigating the incident. Remarkably, it’s business as usual at the butchery today, but the community is left shaken by the unprecedented event.
