AfriForum’s Ernst Roets and his youngest son had to crawl over the body of a suspected robber to get out of their hiding place, after an armed robbery in which one suspect was shot and killed at a family restaurant in Centurion Lifestyle Centre last night.

Roets, who is Head of Policy and Action at the civil rights organisation, his wife Lelanie and their children Xander (7) Christiaan (6) and Lourens (2) were celebrating their eldest son, Ernst’s 10th birthday.

Roets had just finished paying for their meal and was carrying Lourens in his arms when he heard gunshots.

According to Roets, a gang of three to five men entered the restaurant.

“At first it didn’t sound like gunshots to me, but when I saw pieces of wood from the restaurant tables flying into the air, I knew what was happening and immediately hit the ground.

“My wife was in the upstairs part of the restaurant with the other children when the shots were fired.

“I called to her and told her we were safe.”

Roets says he immediately contacted private security who arrived on the scene within five minutes.

“Luckily, an off-duty security guard was eating in the restaurant and reacted quickly. He shot and killed one of the robbers,” says Roets.

The remaining robbers fled the scene. No one else was injured.

Roets says he and his family are shocked by the incident.

“We are all very shaken, especially the older children because they understood what was happening.

“The robber who was shot and killed fell right in front of us and we had to crawl over his body to get out from underneath the table where we were hiding.

“Fortunately, one of our friends is a psychologist and is prepared to give us counselling,” Roets says.

According to Emer-G-Med spokesperson Kyle van Reenen, paramedics responded to the incident at a popular family restaurant in a shopping mall in Centurion.

“A man aged around 30 sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead upon arrival by paramedics.”

He says it was believed that the deceased was a suspect in an armed robbery incident.

Police are investigating.