Early hit on pizza outlet

Gonubie Main Road robbery: same time, same place a year on

Two brazen robbers strolled into a Gonubie pizza joint on Sunday morning pretending to be customers and then hauled out guns. The incident is almost identical to the one in the same place a year ago.

East London police are investigating a case of armed robbery after the Debonairs franchise outlet in Gonubie Main Road was robbed of cash, three laptops and the cellphones of two staff members.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said no arrests had been made.

Manager Nelisa Ntwanambi described the men as casually dressed and in their late 20s. “One was wearing a green top and the other a black top and they both had hats on. I was opening up and there were only two of us in the shop at the time. Normally it gets busy so I didn’t lock the door because then I can’t hear the staff when they arrive while I’m doing admin at the back.”

She said the two walked in pretending to be customers. “I heard the door open and went to check who it was. I saw one guy walking in, and I told him we were not yet open. Then he just took out his gun and pointed at me. A second guy walked in and they asked for the manager. They said they wanted the money and they took our cellphones. They took the keys to the office and panic button.”

The robbers instructed her to disconnect the cameras and to open the safe. “I told them I did not have the keys to the safe. Then one guy disconnected all the computers thinking it was the camera. They just left us and walked out without running.”

In the CCTV footage the two men walk a weeping Ntwanambi to the office where they loot cash from the till, place it in a red backpack and take the store’s laptops.

The other employee, Noludwe Lumkile, said this was the second hit at the store in less than 12 months.

“Around this time last year the same thing happened – two guys walked in with guns and took all our cell phones and money from the till. We all ran to the toilet because they were also carrying guns.”

Mqala said police were investigating. still