Shop owners terrorised by crime spree
Shop owners in Hendrina have become sitting ducks for armed robbers, who have escalated their criminal spree, focusing mainly on cafes and liquor stores.
The Mini Market suffered its third armed robbery since January.
Yesterday evening, shortly after 16:00, four armed men brazenly entered the store and terrorised the owner, as well as clients who were shopping.
Video footage and surveillance supplied by Acsu Security showed how one of the four suspects showed his gun and ushered shoppers deeper into the store while he and his accomplices brazenly robbed the store of an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes.
The robbers then fled on foot with their loot.
Mr Corrie Wolmarans, a resident and ward councillor, said that spaza shops, cafes and liquor stores, have been plagued by a network of criminals for more than three months, and that at least ten spaza shops located in Kwazamokuhle have been robbed.
He also explained that the Mini Market was struck three times by armed robbers, “The store owner commended the quick response from Acsu Security after they responded to the previous robbery a month ago, despite the shop not being a client.”
According to information provided by Acsu Security, the following armed robberies were also recently reported:
• Kings Liquor was targeted by several armed robbers on August 26 at 18:43, while the store owner had a gun held to her head. The robbers got away with an undisclosed amount of cash.
• Portare Fruit & Veg was robbed of cash and cigarettes on September 1.
• A spaza shop in Kwazamokuhle was also robbed by two suspects yesterday, while the Mini Market was also being targeted.
Mr Wolmarans added that residents of Kwazamokuhle have grown so frustrated by the continuous scourge on their community that they managed to trap one suspect during yesterday’s robbery.
https://www.tiktok.com/@middelburgobserver/video/7143188700447526149?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7140185522957698565
