Armed robbers gun down two passengers of Zimbabwe bound bus in South Africa

Two passengers of a Harare bound bus in South Africa were shot dead by armed robbers this Thursday with the third critically wounded in a sad highlight on the neighbouring country's violent crime situation.

The incident happened inside the bus on the N1 north between Mantsole traffic centre and Kranskop toll plaza in Limpopo.

The deceased and the wounded passengers are women.

Suspects boarded the bus at Bosman pretending to be passengers and shortly after passing Mantsole traffic control on the N1 Bela Bela, they started robbing passengers.

South African police spokesperson Motlafela Mojapelo said a group of armed robbers boarded the bus from Johannesburg en route to Zimbabwe.

They instructed the driver to stop before attacking and robbing passengers.

Mojapelo said a second vehicle stopped next to the bus and the vehicle occupants were also attacked and robbed.

The incident spotlights on South Africa's violent crime scene which has seen buses fall prey to armed robbers.

The trend has also caught up with Zimbabwe which has also seen cases of passengers robbed on board by suspects who would have boarded the buses while pretending to be genuine passengers.