A Telkom store at the Watergate Shopping Centre in Mitchells Plain was robbed by vuilgat skelms – wearing Telkom shirts.
The group entered the store on Sunday, pretending to be enquiring about a cellphone contract, when one of them took out his firearm and instructed the staff to be quiet.
The employees were forced into a back room and their legs tied up while one of them was instructed to tell the customers that their system was offline in order to get customers to leave.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk has confirmed the incident, saying: “Lentegeur SAPS registered a business robbery case following an incident on Sunday at about 9.30am at a telephone store at a shopping mall in Mitchells Plain.
“Three unknown males came in, of which one was in private clothes, and two were in the uniform of the said shop.
“Then they took an undisclosed amount of cellphones and laptops.
“Then they tied up the employees on their legs and left in an unknown direction.
“No injuries sustained and no shots were fired,” he added.
The Telkom store was closed yesterday while security has been beefed up and guards seen stationed around the mall as well as in the parking area.
However, centre manager Fuzlin Sinclair says the mall is open for business.
“The safety and security of our tenants and customers is of vital importance, and therefore Watergate Centre will continue to work with the SAPS to assist them in the investigation,” Sinclair added.
Lentegeur ward councillor Avron Plaatjies said: “This mall has served the greater Mitchells Plain and Phillipi with excellence, and I urge SAPS and Crime Intelligence to speedily bring the perpetrators to book.”