Robbed Pelham Supermarket owners still waiting for answers

Almost three weeks after a violent attack, the family that owns Pelham Supermarket said they are still waiting for police to take their statements and give them updates on the case.

The family was attacked by four armed robbers outside their supermarket in the afternoon. The robbers fled in a silver Mercedes Benz with jewellery and phones belonging to the family

The owner's son, who fired shots back at the armed robbers when he noticed his parents were being robbed, was shot in the leg during the gun battle.

The owner, Douglas Roberts, said the robbery was a direct attack on him and his wife, Denise, because the armed men walked up to them with guns and started shooting at them and that's when his son also fired a shot.

Roberts said they had no idea what was happening with the case and were wondering whether the police had any leads or had made arrests.

He said they had lost their trust in the police as a result of seeing how long it had taken them to take his statement and probe any other information that would be useful to the case.

He said a few days after the incident they were told someone from the police would see them and take their statements, and they've been waiting ever since.

"I feel totally rejected as a citizen of South Africa who is expecting the police to help.

"We don't know if they have even started on the investigation. My son actually shot one of these guys and we don't know if they will come back for revenge," said Roberts.

"We don't know anything. The police haven't given us any form of commitment or come in to discuss the case with us. We've been offered assistance from the community yet the people that are paid to look after us haven't done their jobs," said Roberts.

He said the incident happened at around 2 pm, but it took hours for police officers from Alexandra Road Police Station to attend the scene. He said two officers spoke to his wife and that was the last time they saw the police.

Roberts said his son was recovering, but the incident will live with them for a long time. "There's a loss of trust now. When you see a car with dark windows, you wonder what the story with the car is," said Roberts.

Police had not responded by the time of going to print.