Cape Town - Despite Shoprite’s security being breached by robbers who held employees hostage for about 12 hours on Monday, the retailer is taking no extraordinary measures to beef up security at its shops.
In a statement, South Africa’s biggest retailer said it was continuously reviewing its security measures and procedures for stores “in the ordinary course of business” and adapting them “in terms of what the current situation requires”.
The group said it strove to provide a safe working environment for its staff “and a hassle-free shopping experience for its customers as far as it is in its power to do so”.
The retail giant is also providing assistance to staff held hostage when robbers struck. One security guard was critically wounded and later died and one robber was injured in the shoot-out that ensued when the robbers entered the Junction Mall in Nyanga.
Shoprite said staff “are receiving every assistance to recover from their ordeal, ongoing counselling is being provided and time off has been allowed as each individual requires”.
The attempted robbery happened when grant beneficiaries were to receive their monthly government grants. The South African Social Security Service spokesperson said the payment of social grants was managed by Cash Paymaster Services (CPS), contracted to Sassa to pay out social grants.
“Social grant beneficiaries have the option of accessing their social grants at a point most convenient to them: ATMs, merchants and physical pay points.
“Sassa cannot comment on security at Shoprite, and we contracted a security company to oversee social grant payments at our Sassa pay points to ensure the safety of social grant beneficiaries.”
CPS said in a statement that Shoprite, like many other retailers, provide cash back at point-of-sale devices, in terms of agreements entered into with their respective acquiring banks.
“To accommodate for this service, the retailers enter into contractual agreements with service providers, cash-in-transit or guarding security companies, for the delivery, collection and protection of cash.
“The retail infrastructure forms part of the National Payment System and is therefore not a pay point. The pay points serviced by CPS are assessed and monitored by both CPS and Sassa. Security arrangements for these pay points are managed on a daily basis.
“The arrangements for such services are regularly reviewed and changed to accommodate for the associated risks,” said the statement.
Police said that after the 12-hour long stand-off they managed to secure the safety of 11 people.
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said there were no new developments and the investigation continued.