'Nobody tried any heroics'

2008-11-23 23:13

Dries Liebenberg

Durban. - "Hi, we're the security for the party. Come in!"

This is how three insolent robbers greeted people in an upmarket area of Durban North moments before they pulled balaclavas over their heads, charged in and held the 22 guests at gunpoint.

The robbers weren't put off at all when the alarm went off after he'd pressed the panic button, Nick Gahagan of La Lucia said on Sunday.

They calmly went about their business, collecting wallets and watches.

Gahagan, 49, said the guests initially had thought the robbers were pranksters, because the party was being held for two families who'd decided to leave the country because of crime.

"When they cocked their pistols, people realised it wasn't a joke," added Gahagan.

He said he'd been putting his five-year-old daughter to bed when the robbers struck.

It gave him the opportunity to push the panic button.

The others had been on the patio.

"Fortunately nothing... Fortunately everybody behaved themselves. Nobody tried any heroics," Gahagan said.

He said one of the robbers kept on telling the others in Zulu: "Kill them!"

Gahagan said the robbers had stood outside the driveway to his house, pretending to be security guards.

Police

Security guards at parties are fairly common and none of the guests had suspected anything.

The robbers slipped in behind the last guests and then forced the people on the patio to lie on the ground.

They took purses, watches, cellphones and jewellery. They also took the plasma TV from the lounge.

The guests were most upset that it took the police longer than an hour to get to the scene.

Gahagan said the first policeman only arrived shortly before 21:00 from the Durban North police station.

Apparently he told people he wasn't even supposed to the there because he was only starting his shift at 21:00, said Gahagan, who had called 10111 at 19:57.

Superintendent Muzi Mngomezulu said the radio control centre's records show that they had received feedback from the police officers at 20:15 and not 21:15.

- Beeld