Cape Town - Customers were seen fleeing from Coco Safar restaurant in St James Piazza, Sea Point after three unknown men entered, smashed glasses and bottles at the bar.
Green Point Neighbourhood Watch chairperson Peter Flentov said the frightened customers fled the scene and took cover in nearby shops before the unidentified men fled.
Flentov said the motive for the attack was unknown. He said, however, in light of recent incidents in Sea Point in which shots were fired at a private security vehicle, and last week’s assassination of a businessman from Israel alleged to have been involved in the night clubs protection racket, it was understandable if people wondered whether the incidents were related.
“This incident was not your run of the mill Atlantic Seaboard crime. About a third of the reported crime is theft out of motor vehicles.
“Theft not classified elsewhere is the next largest category. This includes pickpocketing and the theft of unattended bags and cellphones, etc. From the report of what happened, it was not a robbery attempt. They smashed bottles and glasses”, he said
When Cape Argus called the restaurant, a manager on duty confirmed the “attack” but suggested that further questions must be directed to the owner, Arno van Zyl.
Van Zyl said: “I am unable to comment on an ongoing police investigation by the SAPS specialised extortion task team.” He confirmed that no one was injured.
The Atlantic Seaboard Community Forum said in an online post that Sea Point residents seemed to be unfazed by this act of “extortion”.
One resident commented saying: “We seem to have daily incidents in the area. I am amazed at how complacent we as a community have become. People have crime fatigue.”
On recent crime statistics from April 2023 to June 2023, under property-related crimes, Sea Point is at number seven on the top 30 for that type of crime.
For the past year, Sea Point recorded 298 cases while this year it is 339 cases, marking an increase of 13.8%.