Update

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Two robbers were handed down heavy sentences for mugging a hitchhiker near Collie Koeberg Sports Stadium, Graaff-Reinet, earlier this year. And since their arrest in May, this crime hot spot has seen a marked drop in attacks on commuters.

Sheraan Souls (20) and Duncan Makhanda (19) were each sent to prison for five years on Monday 14 October. 

They were found guilty of robbing the 44-year-old hitchhiker on 10 May as he was travelling through Adendorp making his way to to Somerset East. According to Police Spokesperson, Capt Bradley Rawlinson, the robbers were armed with knives when they robbed and attacked the victim.

Hennie Pienaar from Adendorp told the Advertiser he saw the incident happened. "They grabbed the man, pinned him to the ground and robbed him."

Pienaar said he immediately alerted the rural security forum. "They were there within minutes and helped the police to arrest the suspects."

According to Pienaar, before the arrest residents of Adendorp always had to drive their domestic workers home, as they were regularly robbed in the vicinity of the place where the hitchhiker mugging took place. Since the arrest of Souls and Makhanda, the attacks on their workers have all but ceased.

 "We still have to see that they get home safe, but the situation is much better."