Cape Town - Cape Town singer Craig Lucas begged for his life as armed suspects robbed him in a leafy suburb.
Craig Lucas was driving on Poplar Avenue in Thornton when he had a flat tyre on Tuesday.
As he was changing it two men drove up to him and pointed a gun at him.
He said he begged the suspects not to shoot him. They left him unharmed.
The Voice SA season 2 winner wrote on his Instagram: “I got a flat tyre yesterday, and while I was trying to get it sorted, a car pulled up in front of me.
“I thought they were coming to help. Instead they robbed me. They had a gun and the one guy told the other to shoot me as they were making off. I begged him not to shoot me and thank God he didn’t.”
He said the unidentified suspects robbed him of his belongings.
“They made off with my phone and managed to change the password to my Apple ID and Gmail. I can’t locate the phone or erase it until I am able to access my account.
“The phone was unlocked when they took it, so they have access to it. If anyone messages you asking for anything please assume it isn’t me for now.
“Trying to recover my number, and regain access to my accounts, but it will take between 24-48 hours.”
Pinelands Community Police Forum (CPF) spokesperson, Yazied Davids, said that various safety concerns in Thornton have been raised at their monthly meetings, and that SAPS has increased visibility in the area.
"Unfortunately the informal settlement in Viking Way has seen a rise in criminal activity that has affected Thornton. The settlement is a known hotspot for drug and alcohol abuse as well as alleged prostitution and domestic violence.
"Pinelands CPF and SAPS requested Law Enforcement operations in the settlement that has yielded significant results. These operations are set to continue until an agreement is made with the residents and City to relocate the settlement," Davids said.
"The City has proposed a new site for relocation that went through public participation. Smash and grab incidents in Epping have also increased and Epping CID have agreed to assist."
Davids said that they also have concerns as security personnel that were deployed by Grand West are no longer stationed near the Denneboom entrance and that the lack of visibility is concerning.
"We urge all residents of Thornton to become active members of their communality and fight back against these criminals by joining local organisations and reporting suspicious activity and crime. If crimes are not reported then SAPS may not get the much needed resources being allocated to the area."
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said they were still searching for the suspects.
“Pinelands police are investigating a robbery case following an incident in Poplar Avenue, Thornton, where a 30 year old male was robbed of personal belongings.
“According to reports the victim had a flat tyre and while waiting for assistance a vehicle stopped next to him and the occupants alighted the vehicle and robbed him.
“The suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested.”
Anyone with information about the incident can contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.