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Restaurant robbers 'spooked'
28/05/2007 12:34 - (SA)
Verashni Pillay
Durban - Mourners lay flowers at the door of St Tropez restaurant in Durban, which was closed on Sunday following a shocking shooting and robbery on Saturday night.
Thirty-year-old Marc Joubert was fatally shot during the armed robbery when he and two friends tackled some of the
gunmen in a bid to stop them.
Joubert, a well-known builder from Westville, was shot in the neck during the tussle. He died shortly afterwards.
"It's heroic, but it's a pretty dangerous thing to do when you have five guns pointing at you," said ER24
spokesperson, Neil Noble, speaking to News24.
Joubert and his fiancée, Natasha Stoltz, were attending a birthday party at the popular restaurant on the corner of St Thomas street and Essenwood road, in Durban's affluent Musgrave area. "There were probably about 100 to a 150 people there, all in their late 20s," said Noble.
Dressed in 'gangster gear'
According to Noble, about seven gunmen, dressed in "gangster" gear with beanies, bandannas and hooded
jackets, entered the restaurant at about 22:20 on
Saturday night, as the manager was closing the bottom
section of the restaurant.
Four of the robbers stayed downstairs while three
went upstairs where Clint Zuidewind and Jason Stirk
were jointly celebrating their 30th birthday with family
and friends.
The men demanded that everyone drop to the
floor, shouting and taunting patrons, according to
Noble. Witnesses claim that the loud crash of a plate
falling to the floor sent the robbers into a panic and they started
firing indiscriminately into the crowd. "They fired
about 15 shots, it's a miracle only four people were
shot," said Noble.
"It sounds to me like they were badly spooked," he said. The men were in and out very quickly, according to witnesses, but managed to wreak serious havoc in the short time they were there.
"When the smoke cleared, and the screaming died down, the true magnitude of the situation became evident," said Noble.
A waiter was shot twice, in the hand and knee
while two other men at the party were shot in the groin
and hip. "They're all in a stable condition," said Noble.
Joubert however, was not so lucky. Noble spoke
to Lance Ridi, Joubert's business partner, at Entabeni
Trauma Unit where he had rushed Joubert in a
desperate bid to save his life. He died within 20
minutes of arriving at the hospital, despite attempts at
resuscitation.
Organised Crime
Berea police station first investigated the crime,
but it has since been transferred to the Durban
Organised Crime unit. Police spokesperson Phindile
Radebe told News24 that it was not certain if this was an incident of organised crime.
However, several other restaurants in the area have fallen prey to similar attacks recently, notably Jack Rabbits and Olive and Oil in Glenwood. Radebe said the Organised Crime Unit would investigate possible gang activity.
The robbers made off with jewellery, cellphones and cash, according to Radebe. The men are still at large.
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