Women tell of R1-million heist terror
IT TOOK just 45 seconds to terrorise two women, pistol-whip one of them and make off with more than R1-million worth of luxury watches at one of Port Elizabeth’s top tourist destinations this week.
Three men dressed in workers’ clothes, one of them brandishing a firearm, robbed Fischer’s Jewellers at the Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World complex at the beachfront on Thursday night.
The men were captured on CCTV as they stole seven Rolex and 11 TAG Heuer watches before fleeing. No arrests have been made.
Just hours after their ordeal the two women on duty in the store at the time were back at their post yesterday.
Celeste Prinsloo, 55, returned to the store straight after being treated at St George’s Hospital “to see what had been taken and if everything was OK”.
Prinsloo was pistol-whipped during the robbery and received stitches to her upper lip.
She said she had had “a funny feeling” and was about to close the store when the robbers struck just after 6pm. Usually the store would have closed an hour later.
Her 32-year-old colleague, Koleka Tshaka, was still traumatised yesterday and said it was the second time she had been robbed at a Fischer’s outlet. Tshaka said it only took about 45 seconds for the men to rob the store. “They came in and one of them pushed the counter
away and went straight to the displays in the window, where he picked out the watches. We were told to get down on to the floor. When I saw the gun I just looked down,” she said.
Tshaka said Prinsloo, who was on the ground next to her, was pistol-whipped when she lunged for a panic button.
“It was terrifying and it happened so quickly. I still feel very shaky. I’ve worked for this company for eight years and while I was working at another branch a few years ago there was also a robbery there. That was also terrifying,” she said.
Prinsloo added: “I got angry and managed to push a panic button, but got hit in my mouth with the gun. It happened so fast.”
She said she tried to reach a second panic button and wrestled with one of the robbers in the process.
“Right now I feel more angry than afraid. We are both just thankful still to be here.”
In January 2008, 14 armed men stormed the Boardwalk casino and made off with what was believed to be hundreds of thousands of rands. Several suspects were later arrested.
Complex spokeswoman Caley Phillips said yesterday security had been beefed up, particularly in the area of the complex where this week’s robbery took place.
“While we thought we had our security up to scratch, there were obviously shortcomings. There will certainly be improved security going forward,” she said.
Police spokesman Captain Johann Rheeder said three suspects were being sought on armed robbery and assault charges. He said a firearm was recovered at the Boardwalk late yesterday afternoon, but could not yet confirm whether it was the same weapon used in the robbery.