Manhunt for robbers who killed 2 at shops

TRAGEDY struck at the Matlapeng Shopping Centre in Freedom Park, south of Joburg, again after an armed gang killed a Shoprite branch manager during a robbery on Monday.

A gang of about 25 men, travelling in two minibuses, stormed into the shopping centre around 7pm and went into Shoprite, Shoprite Liquor and the Hungry Lion restaurant.

They were armed with rifles and 9mm pistols, started firing shots before even entering the stores they robbed.

The gang robbed the employees and customers of their valuables, and also took an undisclosed amount of cash from the shops.

The 56-year-old branch manager was shot in the upper body and died immediately at the scene, while another victim was shot and injured before he was taken to the nearest hospital. Sadly, he too died later at the hospital.

According to a witness at the scene, one of the security guards saw the two minibuses with the gang approaching him and he ran for his life, as he shouted for the customers that were in the complex to run and hide.

However, this did not help as the robbers quickly apprehended him.

An employee of one of the robbed stores, who wanted to remain anonymous, told The Star she saw people screaming and making a run for it, quickly hiding in one of the bathrooms.

But two of the gang members came into the store and went to the bathrooms, shouting “get out or we will shoot”.

The shoppers were told to lie on the floor and to hand over all their belongings.

The gang allegedly took one of the employees and pointed a gun at her, instructing her to open the cash register.

While she was opening the register, they told her to bring a plastic bag and to put all the money in it.

A customer who was shopping while the incident took place described the scene as “horrific”, stating that the hallway entrance was full of people lying down, not looking up, as the thugs took their belongings.

“I thought I was going to

I thought that I was going to die, one victim said

die. As I handed my cellphone and wallet to them, I heard gunshots coming from Shoprite and people quickly screamed after that,” one woman said.

In the same month that protests took place at Freedom Park and Eldorado Park, the complex was looted and several stores were broken into, including Shoprite.

Johannesburg Central police spokesperson Mavela Masondo told The Star that the police had not made any arrests and the gangsters were still at large.

Police were investigating cases of murder and armed robbery.

Police are appealing to the community, asking that whoever might have information on the crime to please contact the nearest police station or call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.