South African artists Craig Lucas and The Kiffness were the victims of crime this week but in different parts of the world.
“The Voice SA” season 2 winner Craig Lucas believes that he is lucky to be alive after surviving being robbed at gunpoint in Thornton, Cape Town, on Wednesday.
He explained on Instagram that he got a flat tyre and while he was waiting for help, a car pulled up in front of him.
“I thought they were coming to help me. Instead they robbed me. They had a gun a:d the one guy told the other to shoot me as they were making off,” Lucas explained on the social media platform.
“I begged him not to shoot me and thank God he didn't.”
Lucas added that the robbers stole his phone and managed to change the passwords to his email and Apple ID.
“I can’t locate the phone or erase it until I am able to access my account.”
He explained that his phone was unlocked when the robbers stole it and that they have access to it.
“If anyone messages you asking for anything, please assume it isn’t me for now.”
Lucas said he was also in the process of recovering his number and regaining access to his accounts but that this could take up to two days.
Meanwhile, The Kiffness recently had his gear stolen in Detroit, US, which forced him to cancel a show.
Taking to X, the musician, whose real name is David Scott and who shares the band with fellow musicians Raiven Hansmann and Mathew Gold, explained that the incident was both unfortunate as well as inconvenient.
“Bad news, Detroit. This morning, our tour van got broken into in a secure parking space along with a few other cars,” he said through The Kiffness’s page.
“A bunch of our gear is missing, but we’re going to try our best to make a plan before the show tonight,” the post continued.
He added: “It gets worse. Our merch guy was getting what was left out of the car now and someone tried to take the keys from him, but he ran away and called the police.
“Luckily they detained him now while he was looting the car. Our poor merch guy is in shock. @JoeBiden what’s going on?”
Scott added that the robbery meant that the band was unable to perform in Detroit but that they were working to resolve the situation.
“I’m very sorry to inform my fans in Detroit that tonight’s show’s been cancelled due to gear being stolen out of our van,” he wrote.
“Between getting a new van, new equipment, police reports, we just don’t have enough time to get the show ready,” he continued. “Refunds available at point of purchase.”
The theft of The Kiffness’s gear caught the attention of the local Detroit news, with Scott being interviewed on Fox 2 Detroit.
In the news segment, which was also posted onto The Kiffness’s X page, Fox 2 Detroit explained that the band’s gear, estimated to be worth about $5 000, which is almost R100 000, was stolen from their van.
Scott told Fox that he hoped that they could retrieve the equipment, while the US news outlet showed footage of an unknown man climbing into their van through a shattered window.
“I’m hoping that we can get it back in time,” Scott told the local news broadcaster.
On the cancellation of The Kiffness’s Detroit show, he added: “It is devastating for the fans, obviously we were really looking forward to it but these things happen.”
Scott also insisted that this act of criminality won’t deter him from visiting or performing in Detroit again.
“I’ll definitely be back, I think you can’t judge a place by one separate incident and from what I’ve seen it’s a beautiful city and hopefully I’ll be back under better circumstances.”
The Kiffness, renowned for his remixes of viral videos, is in the US for a national tour. The band started their tour in September this year in Europe before heading to America and Canada.
They have already performed in New York and Toronto. Other concert venues that were planned include Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities. This was the band’s first tour of the US and Canada.
During The Kiffness’s US tour, Scott also posted pictures of him meeting his fans, including Whoopi Goldberg, who attended his show in New York.