Friendly robbers take nothing
2008-06-10 09:07
Henry Cloete
Bloemfontein - "Friendly, smiling", neatly dressed, armed robbers scared employees and patrons in the Wimpy in Westdene, Bloemfontein on Monday, but left empty-handed.
Two waitresses, who preferred to remain anonymous, said two men entered the restaurant at about 07:10 and ordered coffee.
"Another client paid for his coffee and I was making coffee for the two men when I heard the clack-clack sound of the gun. He had brought it in wrapped in a newspaper," one of the waitresses said.
The man ordered all six employees to the back of the restaurant and made them lie on the floor.
Relaxed
"I wasn't really scared because they treated us in a relaxed manner and were very friendly. They smiled at us while their guns were pointed at us."
The man ordered them to "sleep" and asked where the keys were.
"He didn't ask us for money or cellphones or anything. He spoke softly and tapped us on the shoulders if he wanted us to do something."
The waitresses said there were up to five robbers who all had guns.
Two were standing guard outside.
In the meantime one of the robbers ordered John Marais, one of the two patrons in the restaurant, to lie on the floor and searched him.
The other patron made a run for it out the door.
Marais, a sales consultant at Kloppers who drinks a cup of coffee at the Wimpy every morning before work, said the robbers were not friendly to him at all.
"The one pointed his pistol at me and ordered me to lie on the floor. I had a lot of money in one of my trouser pockets so I lay on that pocket. Luckily he didn't turn me over."
'Something must have put them off'
He said the experience was very unreal to him and passed quickly.
"I just lay there praying the whole time. Suddenly I just heard it was quiet and when I looked up, they were gone."
The owner of the Wimpy, Tania van der Vyver, said nothing was stolen from the restaurant's safe, from the cash register or from any of the people.
"Something must have put them off. It's very strange.
"We're now considering opening later in the mornings."
- Volksblad