Businesses to jack up security after robberies
BUSINESS owners in Mthatha are thinking of beefing up their security arrangements after a spate of robberies in the CBD last week.
Three businesses were robbed in the city centre last week, according to operations manager at Protec Security Systems Zwai Qotoyi.
In one incident at a well-known clothing store, two men armed with guns entered the shop and made off with R14 000 in cash.
In another incident on Tuesday three men were arrested after an armed holdup near a hardware store on the corner of Chatam and Elliot streets.
“They pointed firearms at the people in a truck that was off-loading and stole a tyre. Fortunately, people in the store pressed a panic button and we responded,” Qotoyi said.
On the same day, six men made off with meat belonging to a food store in town. This was after they targeted a truck delivering meat while it was off-loading near the premises. “They drove away but we chased them and the police joined in and they were arrested,” he said.
On Thursday, two armed men stormed into a clothing store in town shortly after 2pm and took money from the tills after threatening the staff.
On Friday, a Buffalo Timber shop was robbed of a generator and a television by three men.
A staffer in the shop who declined to give her name confirmed the incident, saying the robbers had threatened a cashier before stealing the items around 11am.
Mthatha police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said: “Yes we have noted with great concern an increase in business robberies in Mthatha. Some of the cases opened with us were solved and others were not. We are having meetings with business people on how to overcome the crime and we have noticed that some of the businesses have no security, others have no metal detectors and CCTV cameras. We have to come to an understanding about how we are going to stop these robberies. When we have the correct information the response from our officers is very commendable. Just last week Wednesday they arrested three suspects before they robbed a shop in the CBD.”
Protec is contracted by some local stores to provide backup security, especially at night.
Qotoyi said in all the attacks, the robbers used the same method.
“They don’t force anyone to lie down. The robberies happen while there are customers in the shop and they don’t even realise what is happening. They [robbers] just walk up to the tills and threaten to shoot them if they don’t hand over the cash.”
He claimed this had the hallmarks of a syndicate while adding that the robberies might be inside jobs.
Qotoyi warned businesses not to keep too much money in their tills and to consider installing CCTV cameras as they were able to put off would-be robbers. —