DURBAN - Vodacom is appealing to the public to come forward with any information that could lead to the arrest of the other suspects who were involved in the robbery of the Vodacom branch at Market Plaza in KwaDukuza (previously Stanger) earlier this month.
Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said it is alleged that five unknown suspects entered the business premises at Market Plaza in KwaDukuza on February 1, 2022, at around 9.20am and held the staff at gunpoint.
Gwala said the suspects took cellphones, cash, a bag and other items.
“A 40-year-old suspect was arrested and charged for robbery,” she said.
Gwala said the suspect has already appeared in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court twice.
A Vodacom spokesperson confirmed that the store was robbed.
Vodacom said four of the robbers posed as customers.
“We can confirm that there were no injuries sustained during the robbery,” said the spokesperson.
The mobile communications company said staff members have received trauma counselling.
“We appeal to members of the public who might have information that can help police to make successful arrests to report the matter to the nearest police station,” said the spokesperson.
Police said a case of robbery is being investigated by KwaDukuza SAPS.
The video of the robbery and pictures of the robbers have been circulating on social media platforms.
In the video, four men are seen posing as customers at four consultants' workstations.
Seconds later, two of the men positioned by the wall stand up. One motions with his hand to the other and they walk to the main counter.
The robbers each pull out their guns.
They round up five consultants and a female customer and move them into a room at the back of the store.
Thereafter, two men dressed in casual clothing, one in a red T-shirt and the other in a blue T-shirt, enter the empty store.
One of the robbers turns around and ushers the man in red, who appears to be a customer, into the back room while using hand motions to communicate with the man in the blue T-shirt.
The fifth robber, in the blue T-shirt, begins searching the drawers of the desks while talking on his cellphone before he picks up a black backpack from one of the workstations and walks out.
Footage of what transpired in the back room was not released.
THE MERCURY