TWO Greenwood Park sisters have recounted how they were accosted in an attempted mugging by an armed suspect at the end of last year.

The incident occurred on Boxing Day but their story mirrors other cases of phone snatchings by suspects using getaway vehicles in the north Durban area.

Machaela (16) and Tamia Bennett (13) were walking with two of their friends on Ardrossan Road when they were approached by a suspect who pulled out a weapon.

In the past both police and neighbourhood watches had warned of a spike in cases of criminals targeting pedestrians, particularly women.

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“We saw the vehicle driving slowly and two men exited the vehicle. One of them went across the road to follow another pedestrian who was on her phone and the other guy came towards us. He greeted us and I’m not sure why but I told my friend who was next to me to put his phone away,” explained Machaela. “The man then pushed me against the wall and pulled out a gun from his jacket. He told me not to scream or he’d shoot me.

“I was nervous because I wasn’t sure what he’d do. I told my sister and our friends to run and call for help and not to worry about me. They began to run and in the chaos I switched my phone off and threw it into a property I was standing next to. I also called for help and two men who were in their yard next to where we were standing ran out to help. Both the men ran towards the vehicle that had driven back around and they fled the scene,” she said.

While the 16-year-old’s quick-thinking helped her in the situation, she admits that she is now fearful to walk in the area.

“When the man was running away he told us they knew our faces and they’d come after us. I’m scared and reluctant to walk anywhere in the area because everytime I see a similar vehicle to the one used I get scared. I just have these flashbacks,” she said.

Her younger sister said she too was scared when the man approached.

“I felt powerless as I couldn’t do anything. I was rooted to the spot when Machaela told us to run. We are so grateful for the two men who came out to help us because if they hadn’t I do think we would’ve been robbed,” she said.

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