Boiling water poured over man

2003-07-08 21:41

Makopane - Armed men poured boiling water over a shop assistant during a robbery at a general dealer's store at Makekeng near Mokopane, south-west of Polokwane, on Tuesday, Limpopo police reported.

Captain Malesela Ledwaba said "quite a substantial" sum of money, cartons of cigarettes and the store owner's cellphone were taken. The five robbers, armed with pistols, also took the dealer's car keys, but did not take his car.

The owner and two assistants were cooking in the residential quarters, next to the shop, shortly after 17:00 when five men held them up and demanded that the store be opened.

The attackers poured boiling water over the assistant to force the owner to act on their demands. The owner was tied up while the robbers loaded the items in a get-away car. The robbers fired a shot before fleeing, but no one was hurt.

The assistant was not seriously hurt, Ledwaba said.

- SAPA