[Image: Wikimedia Commons]
A brazen thief, believed to be behind a string of tourist muggings along the Sea Point Promenade, was caught red-handed after targeting a German tourist recently.
But before he could vanish into the crowds, construction workers, who were busy at work on a prom wall at Rocklands Beach, leapt into action, stopping him in his tracks.
The suspect had just yanked a necklace from his victim’s neck, shoving her to the ground when she tried to resist. As he attempted to flee – frantically trying to hand off the stolen jewellery to an accomplice – sharp-eyed workers dropped their tools and intervened. Their quick reaction proved decisive, pinning the thief down until law enforcement arrived.
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg confirmed the arrest.
“A 24-year-old male was arrested for robbery on February 24, 2025, at a beach in Sea Point. He will appear in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court once he has been charged,” he said.
Authorities believe this is the third such incident in just three days, adding to growing concerns about crime targeting tourists in the Mother City.
This latest attack follows another shocking case earlier in February when a Dutch-Thai couple, aged 71 and 57, were brutally robbed in the Cape Town CBD while sightseeing.
The woman, who spoke little English, was targeted for her moon bag containing €9,000 (R176,000) in cash, along with both of their passports. She was dragged along the pavement as she desperately clung to her belongings, suffering injuries to her arms and legs.
Stranded in a foreign country without their documents, the couple struggled to find a way home. But in an uplifting turn, the kindness of South Africans – particularly a Stellenbosch guesthouse manager – ensured their safe return to the Netherlands on February 14 after their passports were recovered.
Meanwhile, the suspect linked to the promenade robbery remains behind bars and is expected to face justice in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court.
[Source: Cape Argus]
