What usually is a scene from a movie came to life on a whole new level, for the staff of the MTN store in Victoria Street whose lives were on the line at gunpoint during an armed robbery. The MTN shop at 126 Victoria Road was robbed at 10am on the morning of September 13.
According to a police report the complainant and her colleague were working when three males entered the store, and seemed as if they wanted to make a purchase. Two of the three men held the two shop assistants at gunpoint and demanded money be given to them as well as the safe keys.
The two shop assistants were then taken to the back of the store and had their hands and feet tied with cables. The men opened the safe and a number of cellphones were taken. Two of the three men were armed with firearms and the other had a knife. The man armed with a knife stood at the door to keep watch and stand guard. At the time, the mother to one of the MTN employees asked the man at the door where the shopkeeper was and he told her that she was busy at the back and let her in. After the mother of the MTN employee made her way into the store, she was then tied up too.
The above was confirmed by police spokesperson Captain JS Sokhela. At the time of the robbery, no customers were in the store. The staff from surrounding businesses said that no cries or screams for help were heard while the robbery was in progress and nothing seemed strange or odd. “Just like any other Saturday I set out for work in the morning and served incoming customers but when I heard cries and screams for help, I rushed out to see what’s going on only to find that everything was over by then,” said a staff member from a neighbouring business.
One other employee working in Victoria Street could not wrap her head around the fact that no vehicle was seen speeding off, no suspicious men where seen walking the pavements nor were any men seen leaving the store with what would have been a rather large purchase. It was alleged that emergency alerts sent out to a private security company were not responded to and responses from the police were delayed.
Captain Sokhela said that the incident was reported to the police at 1.20pm and the police responded within fifteen minutes. One concerned businessman said that there is a need for vigilant police patrols and for CCTV camera systems to be operating once again. Police spokesperson Captain JS Sokhela also confirmed that no arrests have been made as yet in accordance with the robbery.
“We appeal to the members of the community to forward any information that can lead to the arrest and conviction of the robbers, such information will be rewarded,” said Captain Sokhela. “All shops should get panic buttons so that crime can be reported as soon as possible, ” advised Captain Sokhela.
