An explosion, a lucky escape, and being held at gunpoint: What caused the Eastdene Shopping Centre fire
Mahomed Cassim, owner and founder of Eastdene’s Saverite Supermarket, was held at gunpoint and left for dead, as three criminals robbed his store and left it in flames.
The Middelburg Observer spoke with Mahomed this morning, who said he was opening the store’s front shutters in the early hours of Sunday morning when he suddenly felt a handgun at the back of his head.
“Don’t move, or I’ll blow your head off!” The gunman forced Mahomed inside and told him to open the shop’s back entrance, where two other robbers were lying in wait.
Mahomed was told not to look around or at the three criminals, who were all masked in balaclavas, as they made their way into Saverite.
They then forced him to open the store’s three ATMs, after which, the robbers separated into different areas of the store.
The gunman remained with the terrified shop owner, while the others looted the cell-phone kiosk and the cashier floats. Tensions rose when one of the criminals returned from Mahomed’s office empty-handed.
They then forced him to lie on the ground and stare at the floor, and the gunman repeatedly kicked the 64-year-old.
“Don’t look back, or I will blow your head off!” repeated the gunman, as they demanded that Mahomed take them upstairs and hand over his “gold Krugerrand coins”.
But Mahomed was confused, he had no Krugerrand coins. He didn’t even have a safe upstairs, as the area was mostly filled with invoices.
He offered to take the criminals upstairs to show them that he had nothing of value, but this answer seemed to infuriate the three robbers, as they then taped Mahomed’s mouth shut and tied his hands behind his back.
Fortunately, there was an issue with their tape as they attempted to tie Mahomed’s feet, so in frustration, they left his legs unbound.
Mahomed lay on the ground, where he prayed he would make it out alive and see his family again. He then heard a massive explosion from upstairs, which he described as sounding like a “bomb”.
The injured and frightened Mahomed then found the strength he needed to get up and desperately make his way towards the back entrance of the store.
He told the Observer he had begged God that the back door wasn’t locked, and miraculously, it wasn’t. Mahomed despairingly kicked the door open with his feet and made his way onto the street.
He was gagged, with his hands restrained as he ran to the Titon Security office near Eastdene Combined School. He knocked on their door with kick after kick, but to no avail, as this was at roughly 05:15 on Sunday morning
Luckily, a fruit and vegetable vendor recognised Mahomed and rushed over to offer him aid. Mahomed proceeded to call the fire brigade, as the flames from the explosions had begun to burn his entire life’s work to ash.
Mahomed is grateful to be alive and thanks the community for their well wishes and support during this difficult period.
Watch video’s taken on the day of the fire below:
@middelburgobserver Video footage of the Eastdene Shopping Centre fire #firefighters #firefighter #fire #eastdene #middelburg
@middelburgobserver Middelburg firefighters trying to stop the spread of the Eastdene Shopping Centre fire #firefighter #fire #middelburg #firefighters
@middelburgobserver More footage of this morning’s Eastdene fire #firefighter #fire #middelburg
