Shoppers left malls with empty pockets on Wednesday — and not for good reason — after armed skurke also went on a Christmas shopping spree.
Armed robbers went on a Christmas crime spree in Cape Town on Wednesday, hitting six businesses in a 24-hour reign of terror.
Police were sent from pillar to post as brazen skelms targeted stores at three malls – Kenilworth Centre, Vangate Mall and N1 City.
Three businesses — a bakery in Paarden Eiland, a liquor store in Melkbosstrand and a supermarket in Athlone — were also targeted.
Authorities could not confirm whether the robberies were carried out by a syndicate, while police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said no arrests were made in any of the robberies.
MEC for Community Safety Dan Plato condemned the spate of robberies, and called on mall management, shoppers and police to form a partnership to help stop criminals.
“I urge the respective mall management to prioritise the safety of their patrons and increase security measures and compliance to security measures,” he said.
The mayhem began late on Tuesday, just after 11.30pm, at the Kenilworth Centre where the Galaxy & Co store was broken into, and robbers fled with an undisclosed amount of jewellery.
On Wednesday the store was closed for business while staff could be seen refilling display cabinets.
Confirmed robberies in Cape Town on Wednesday, December 21:
- At about 8.30am on Wednesday, two suspects attempted to rob the Pick n Pay store at Vangate Mall, Athlone, but were stopped in their tracks by security and police. Shots were fired, but suspects managed to escape police. Police said no injuries were reported.
- At N1 City mall, four armed men approached two Fidelity guards who were refilling the Standard Bank ATM. The skelms took two firearms from the guards and an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing the scene in a red Mazda.
- On the other side of town, at Espresso Bakery, in Section Street, Paarden Eiland, four armed robbers stormed in at 9.50am. They stole an undisclosed amount of money and fled in a white Mercedes-Benz.
- Shortly before OK Liquor Store in Koeberg Road, Melkbosstrand, opened its doors on Wednesday, robbers broke in and triggered the alarm. They filled their getaway car, a flashy silver BMW, with R50 000 worth of alcohol before fleeing. However, wakker security guards and police were hot on their trail along Duinefontein Road and opened fire, shooting out the tyres of the BMW. The robbers fled on foot, abandoning their loot.
- At Silver Stores in Gatesville, aka Klein Elite, armed robbers made off with an undisclosed amount of money. Police confirmed the incident but say a formal charge was not laid by the owner.
Reports also flooded social media claiming that Excellent Meat Market, in Athlone, was hit by robbers, but management at the store confirmed to the Daily Voice that this was untrue.
Images of the armed robbery at N1 City also went viral on social media. It shows two gunmen standing over a frightened security guard lying on the ground.
A female witness at the next door the adjacent store, Ralo Cosmetics, tells the Daily Voice: “We were inside the store when we heard the robber screaming, ‘Face down!’ There were no shots fired.”
N1 City Mall spokesperson Anthea Oostendorf says they are working with police to combat crime at the mall: “We take this incident very seriously and are fully cooperating with the SAPS.”
Vangate Mall has now been hit by robbers three times in less than three months.
In October, the MTN cellphone store was robbed, and in November, Clicks was also hit. And Wednesday's failed robbery attempt at Pick n Pay makes it three.
Spokesperson for Vangate Centre Management, Gouwa Waja-Stemmet, says: “Security has been substantially increased at the mall for the festive period, and there is an armed response vehicle present on site.
“The mall’s high-tech CCTV surveillance equipment will continue to play a vital role [in fighting crime].”
But Aziza Kannemeyer, the chairperson of the Athlone Community Policing Forum, says she’s deeply concerned about the spate of robberies at the mall.
“We are appealing to shoppers to be vigilant and mindful. They should rather have their children stay at home. We are not trying to scare them, but these incidents can cause stampedes and panic,” she says.