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VICTIM: The body of a man killed by robbers lies outside Builders Warehouse in Sunninghill today. Picture: Chris Collingridge
SHAIN GERMANER and Botho Molosankwe
A Builders Warehouse customer was shot dead this morning as he arrived at the Sunninghill depot just as four robbers were fleeing.
Police helicopters were still circling Rivonia earlier today as they hunted for the four suspects.
The men are believed to have fled empty-handed after trying to loot the store’s safe.
The robbery happened soon after the store was opened at 6am by employees and security guards.
As they unlocked the doors and entered the building, they were approached by one of the assailants, who, dressed as a security guard, had followed them into the building.
The armed robber took one of the employees hostage, and three other armed men entered the building.
One of the men forced a sales manager to the room that housed the safe.
However, the manager didn’t have access to the code to unlock the safe.
The robber then started beating and pistol-whipping him in an effort to extract the information, without success.
In the meantime, the robber had been joined by three accomplices.
Unable to open the safe, they fled from the building.
They encountered two customers, who arrived in separate vehicles.
One of them, a man in a white bakkie, was attacked by the robbers. They shot and killed him.
Police believe they wanted to hijack his for an escape vehicle.
The robbers did not take his bakkie, instead fleeing on foot.
A passing motorist who witnessed the incident from the cab of a large truck called in to Talk Radio 702 to tell presenter John Robbie what he had seen.
The man, who identified himself only as “Claremont”, said he had stopped at the traffic light outside Builders Warehouse when he heard a popping sound coming from that direction.
“I saw a white guy in shorts running away from the whole commotion and he fell down.
“Shortly afterwards I saw two guys, one holding a gun, running towards a white bakkie.
“They tried to open the door. I was scared and motorists behind me started hooting (because the robot had turned green). Because I drive a pick-up truck, which is higher than their cars, they were not aware of what was happening.
“I just froze as those two guys came towards the intersection. They jumped the fence, walked away. They looked very calm.
“I was scared that the obvious thing was that they would look for a getaway car, and my car was right there.”
Robbie put the traumatised Claremont through to a producer for help in getting counselling.
According to Sandton police spokeswoman Captain Kym Cloete, the Builders Warehouse store had been thoroughly searched to make sure there were no other robbers hiding on the property.
The manager who was beaten during the incident was able to give his statement to police and appeared not to require medical attention.
By 8.30am, the body of the man killed still lay in the parking lot, his left arm outstretched and his face concealed by a multicoloured umbrella.
Dozens of employees gathered outside as they waited for the crime scene to be cleared while investigators continued collecting evidence.
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Louis, wrote
Anonymous, wrote
when i drive through tembisa,Alex,i see poverty,croweded small houses and when i drive through Randburg,Parkview and morningside there are big houses, street lights,and i ask why so different?did those people in Alex,Tembisa live in those conditions by choice?the answer is NO! someone with a gun forced them to live liked that for 350years.the inequality and injustice wont take 18 years to be undo.Had we lived as a people for those 350years no one could be mourning about coloureds,indians,whites,blacks,blue or yellow people.lets us love one another we are created in the image of God.
Anonymous, wrote
To the Anonymous commentor who asks when white men raped black women, here's a question - How did coloured people in SA come about? Remember that the Dutch ships carried only men. Are we to assume that you believe they were all homosexual? Or will you concede that they either had voluntary or forced sex (RAPE) with indigenous women? It's a well documented fact so ponder this carefully before you make such statements. As for your rape comment directed at the other reader ... tut tut!
Anonymous, wrote
Eastern Free State District manager fight with manager.district manager don't want managers to use state building when they want to conduct a meeting
Anne, wrote
Actually you said raping and murdering! As far as interracial rape in SA is concerned why not read State of Peril: Race and Rape in South African Literature by Lucy Graham. It's factual AND written by a white South African female. You'll find that only 13% of all rapes in SA are interracial and the fact of the matter is that white women are more likely to report rape and be believed than other ethnic groups. And why am I even trying to enlighten you? Because my fellow South African, I care deeply for this country and all it's citizens. We ALL have a duty to respect each other not make comments like "when it's your turn ..." Not a very nice way of engaging a rational person in debate is it?
Anonymous, wrote
I never said whites haven't killed black people, I said RAPE scatie, when you have had your turn let us know how it went.
Anonymous, wrote
Whites are classified by their actions all the time, every argument turns into play the black card
Anonymous, wrote
I agree, two years ago four African thugs broke into my aunts house, her and her sister were in the kitchen both in their 70's, raped and murdered. My aunt did missionary work and ran a soup kitchen for the needy in the locations, I don't think she deserved to be strangled, bludgeoned and raped.
Anne, wrote
So white people don't kill blacks? Really? Skierlik? Mark Scott-Crossley? Pieter Odendaal? And these are just a few examples. Don't generalise to further you racist agenda. Understand that crime happens to everyone and everywhere. It's individuals who commit crimes. Imagine people classified whites by the actions of the aforementioned criminals?
Anonymous, wrote
Another white guy murdered, he must have been a racist cause he was wearing shorts and driving a Bakkie. So sick of the bull in this country, ANC just flap their gums and keep telling us Caucasians were racist. Still waiting to hear of white guys raping and murdering the elderly blacks.
Anonymous, wrote
South Africa needs to be healed. People have suffered layers of wounds both physically, emotionally and psychologically. No one seem to have a solution. The scars continue to happen as exploitation in varied forms exist. Our role models are those with money and flashy cars. We need leaders and role models who will just live simply so that others can lead. As long as the society and the state tells us that you need to have money as the only means to survival, then we are lost to this continuing level of violence. There is more to say, and perhaps the solutions can be sought on the peace ecovillages which has led Senegal to establish a ministry of ecovillages in 2010 after realising that there is another way to deal with scarcity of resources and mayors such as Prof Ousmane Pam are living role models in their villages and live simply. Pam does not need body guards and does not have an expensive villa in Dhaka but stays in his community of Gueder Chantier village. More things are happening there. People are owning their destinies in the peace ecovillages and there is a flat structure of management and no bosses etc.
Anonymous, wrote
Anonymous, wrote
I can not believe this!!! I feel so sorry for this person's family! Two weeks ago there was an attempted robbery at the hairdresser where I was having my hair done...at 8 am in the morning...this after I survived a live shout out outside a primary school where a policeman was shot and killed!!!! What is happening????
samsanyt, wrote
as i read this story tears filled my eyes and i was consumed by this incredible pain..firstly because its sad how even a simple thing as going to get supplies from a store your life can be put to an end..thats how bad things have gotten today secondly that body lay there for a while..why was this so?i cant believe just how lil human life is valued by selfish inconsiderate beings..sad that there is more of them out there now than there is the good.
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