Kimberley - Armed men allegedly held a gun to the head of a toddler, demanding that his grandmother hand over money or they would kill the child, before making off with R24 000 from a supermarket owned by a Chinese national in Galeshewe on Saturday morning.
While the Xiao Di Supermarket in Phajane Street was open for business only hours after the incident, staff members were still visibly rattled on Saturday afternoon.
Kimberley police spokeswoman Major Dimakatso Mooi on Sunday confirmed that an investigation was underway.
Shop assistant, Jan Kok, said that he and the Chinese family, who have owned the shop for about five years, went through a terrible ordeal after five men entered the supermarket at around 9am and waited for shoppers to clear out before making their move.
“At first, only three of the men entered the shop while there were other people buying their groceries. Once the customers had cleared out, one of the robbers, who had stayed outside, went to the door and closed the security gate. That is when they took out their guns,” Kok told the DFA shortly after the incident.
Kok said that he was then herded to the furthest corner of the supermarket, along with the brother and mother of the owner, neither of whom speak much English.
“As they took the three of us to the back, the 18-month-old child woke up. He had been sleeping in one of the rooms because the owner’s family stays on the premises.
“One of the robbers then put a gun to the little boy’s head and told the granny to give them all the money or they would kill the child.
“She did as they said; gave them the airtime, all the money from the cash register and some money that had been set aside under the counter.”
The five then allegedly made off with R24 000 worth of cash and airtime, leaving the staff shaken but unharmed.
Kok said that he was terrified by the ordeal but was hopeful that security footage would assist police in making arrests.
“They cut the camera’s cables but we did manage to get some footage of the incident,” he said.
“I have never seen any of them before this weekend. They spoke Zulu and I don’t think they are from this area. Last night (Friday), three of them came into the shop and looked around. They must have been scouting out the place and planning the robbery,” Kok added.
“Police were here to take statements and fingerprints. We also gave them a copy of the footage we have.
“The family is still traumatised and don’t want to be named in the paper because they are scared that something might happen to them.”
A hawker who trades outside the supermarket said that he had left his fresh produce stall moments before the incident took place but became aware of what had happened when the grandmother came out in pursuit of one of the suspects, who fled on foot.
“I just missed the robbery, so I didn’t see much of what happened but the old lady told me that one of the five had run down Chaka Street.
“I went to look but could not see him. This country is just not safe anymore and crimes like this just seem to be happening all the time,” said the hawker.
“It is alleged that the suspects found the owners and one employee in the store,” Mooi said in a press statement. “They ordered them to lie down and demanded money at gunpoint. They fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money and airtime vouchers. A case of robbery is being investigated.”
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