South African transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga's car was stopped on Monday by spikes placed in the road, which punctured the car's tires and forced it to stop on the side of the highway, south of Johannesburg.

And the robbery didn't take long. The group intercepted the car they were following and disarmed its security guards.

According to the ministry, quoted by The Guardian, the stop "allowed the criminals to steal valuable items from the occupants". The ruler and her guards emerged "unscathed" from the robbery and are "safe".

According to the South African police, the suspects fled with goods and two weapons from the police who were accompanying Chikunga.

"A manhunt has since been launched following this unprecedented incident to apprehend those responsible," said a spokeswoman for the authorities.

South Africa has a long history of violent crime, especially in recent years, with Johannesburg being considered one of the most violent cities in the world in terms of large urban centers. With 62 million inhabitants, it is also considered a country with the highest rate of violent crime outside of an armed conflict.

Between April and June this year, there were 500 robberies and almost 70 murders a day.