NATIONAL NEWS - A jewellery store in Cascades Lifestyle Centre was robbed at gunpoint on Monday afternoon.
Employees at neighbouring shops said the robbery happened “too quick” and that there was no commotion during the course of it.
When The Witness arrived at the scene, all was normal with customers going about their own business.
However, the doors of Steiner Schwartz Jewellers were closed, with two uniformed police officers talking to two people, a woman and a man behind the closed doors.
The woman attended to the door and told the reporter they were not commenting at the moment.
We are still giving statements and also waiting for the fingerprints to be lifted. We can’t comment at this stage.
Employee at neighbouring shop
An employee at a neighbouring shop said she saw four gunmen approaching, walking past her shop towards the jewellery store.
The next thing the store keepers were lying on the floor with guns pointed at them.
A moment later a man wearing a lime jacket appeared walking behind a security guard. He had a gun stuck into his back. This man has been sitting on the bench every morning for the past week. I noticed him because by the time I arrive for work in the morning, he is already sitting there and he would leave in the afternoon.
“When I saw him pushing the security guard towards the shop I recognised him.
“This is shocking and I even told my boss that people who sit on the benches for a long time need to be taken note of because we could have been targets too. We are still shocked, especially as this happened in broad daylight.
A neighbouring shopkeeper said she heard about the hold-up after it had happened.
I was inside my shop so I can’t see what’s happening in the other shop because of the manner in which the shops are positioned.
I was shocked to hear about this incident but it’s a relief that no one was hurt. Everybody is vulnerable to these criminals and they are not scared.
Imagine walking all the way from one of the entrances up to this shop, rob it at gunpoint and then rush towards the main entrance with the stolen goods, with people walking around. It’s scary.
Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala said the Townhill police are investigating a case of business robbery after three men reportedly entered a store at Cascades in Pietermaritzburg.
At gunpoint, the suspects allegedly forced the complainant and customers to lie on the floor and they took various items of jewellery.
It is reported that one of the customers was assaulted with the butt of the firearm and sustained injuries to the head.
The suspects fled the scene in their getaway vehicle.
