Johannesburg - South Africa’s top cop has explained how he used his expertise as a policeman to fight two armed men who attempted to rob a spa in Rosebank, Joburg, at the weekend.
Acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane was busy cutting his nails at the Ayothaya Thai Spa while he waited for his wife, when two balaclava-clad thugs pointed firearms at him.
In an exclusive interview with The Star, Phahlane said he was sitting and facing the door when two men suddenly appeared.
Using his experience as a policeman, he leapt into action, grabbing the arm of one the attackers and would-be-robbers.
“In order to change the direction of the gun that was pointed at me, I went for his (attacker’s) arm.
“Suddenly the gun was pointed at his colleague (accomplice).I knew if he decides to fire a shot, his colleague could also be shot. As a police (officer), you have to act in a split of a second,” he said.
At that point, a scuffle had ensued between Phahlane and the pair as he pushed them out of the spa. At some point, he said, he fell and hurt his arm. His wife, who is a policewoman, came to help him, and hurt her knee.
Phahlane, who was unarmed, quickly grabbed the arm of one of the thugs to move the gun away from him. Throughout the scuffle, the thug’s firearm was pointed at his accomplice.
Eventually, the two men jumped into a silver-grey VW Golf 5 and fled.
“During the scuffle, we were not saying much, but I can remember hearing one of the men saying sizokubulala wena’ (we will kill you),” Phahlane recalled, adding that he didn’t care much about what they were saying.
All he wanted to do was to get on with the job he was employed to do as a police officer.
“I was employed to protect the community and save lives. As an officer, you place yourself on duty if the situation demands that. I’m grateful that no one was hurt.”
Phahlane said the scuffle lasted almost five minutes.
“Although five minutes is not a long time, when you are in that situation you want it to end. Even one minute seems like an hour.”
When asked if he believed he was in the wrong place at the wrong time or if he was being targeted, Phahlane said: “I’m not going to rule that out until investigations have been concluded.”
He said his wife was emotionally drained after the incident and that he had to go home early on Monday to take care of her.
“After such incidents, you reflect back and you realise the worst could have happened. But thank God nothing happened.”
He said the employees at the spa were left traumatised and that a psychologist and the chaplain from the SAPS’s health and wellness programme had arrived at the scene to counsel them.
Phahlane said he was confident that the suspects would be arrested soon.
He added that every police officer must be ready for action at all times.