Times of Eswatini

Simunye Plaza Boxer back in action

- BY THOKOZANI MAMBA

SITEKI – Almost two weeks after operations were stalled, Boxer Supermarke­t at Simunye Plaza caught fire, operations resumed on Monday.

Boxer Supermarke­t Marketing and Communicat­ions Liaison Officer Jason McCall, said the Boxer Supermarke­t at Simunye Plaza resumed trading while the liquor section of the supermarke­t remained under repair due to the damage caused by the fire.

McCall said due to the efficient efforts from the staff in both supermarke­ts at Simunye and at Inyoni Plaza in Tshaneni, the management resumed operations of the latter supermarke­t a few weeks ago.

He said the supermarke­t had several safety and security programmes put in place to minimise the possibilit­y of incidents of this nature taking place in the future.

“We thank the police and authoritie­s for their continued efforts towards resolving the Boxer Tshaneni incident,” he said.

When asked about the incurred costs in both supermarke­ts, during the bombing at Tshaneni and Simunye, as well as the amount stolen from the safe as 12 armed robbers stormed the Inyoni Plaza, McCall said due to company policy with regard to insurance, the costs were not for public consumptio­n as the insurance companies were dealing with the cases.

A fortnight ago, Boxer Supermarke­t at Simunye caught fire that started at the liquor shop section and spread to the supermarke­t, causing serious damages.

Beverages

The burnt items included refrigerat­ors, alcoholic beverages, groceries, the roofing and wall paint.

Personnel from the Siteki Fire and Emergency Services, attended to the scene of the incident and managed to extinguish the fire at the supermarke­t.

Police officers from the Siteki Police Station and Simunye, led by Justice

Mabuza who heads the Criminal Investigat­ions Department (CID) were found at the scene.

According to an eyewitness who was first at the scene, the fire started at the supermarke­t’s liquor shop and extended to the rest of the supermarke­t.

The witness said they suspected a fault from the transforme­r which was housed in the supermarke­t’s premises to have been the cause of the fire.

Worth mentioning was that the transforme­r’s housing doors were found wide open when this reporter took pictures of it.

Meanwhile, last month, the supermarke­t’s safe and Swaziland Building

Society (SBS) automated teller machine (ATM) were bombed by 12 gunmen in Tshaneni. The men were armed with an AK 47 rifle and pistols.

The armed robbers further proceeded to Puma Filling Station convenienc­e shop and made a break-in but failed to access the safe.

They further went on to ZP Cellular shop, which is within the shopping centre and stole cellphones and electronic gadgets including an undisclose­d amount of money that was from FNB Cash Plus and MTN Mobile Money, as well as cash in the cash register.

Retrieved at the Boxer Supermarke­t for forensic purposes were a huge hammer used to break the door and the safe, a CCTV recording device and other debris collected by the police inside the supermarke­t.

 ?? (Courtesy pic) ?? Premier Marketing Manager Mfundo Dlamini and Ndumiso Nhlabatsi, who assisted in drawing the lucky winners. (R) The E10 000 winner, Nomcebo Simelane.
(Courtesy pic) Premier Marketing Manager Mfundo Dlamini and Ndumiso Nhlabatsi, who assisted in drawing the lucky winners. (R) The E10 000 winner, Nomcebo Simelane.
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