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Shoppers in 7hr 'hostage' drama
25/07/2007 10:32 - (SA)
Cheri-AnnJames and Nurene Jassiem, Die Burger
Mthatha - Special police task teams were flown in from across the country, streets were cordoned off and medical staff were placed on standby for a hostage drama that never took place.
Thirteen customers at the Boxer supermarket in Callaway Street were "held hostage" for nearly seven hours on Tuesday by two men they believed to be armed.
According to police spokesperson superintendent Mzukisi Fatyela the hostage drama followed after a robbery at the supermarket earlier on Tuesday.
Six armed men rushed into the shop and forced two Fidelity Guards security officials to unlock the vault. They threw the money into bags and opened fire on the two guards, fatally wounding one of them and seriously injuring the other.
The robbers fled the scene in a VW Jetta. It seemed as if only four of the robbers had left the scene.
Suspects ran away?
"The police arrived shortly after the robbery and pursued the robbers. A shoot-out ensued and one of the robbers was fatally wounded. Another robber was arrested a few kilometres from the scene," explained Fatyela. None of the stolen goods was retrieved.
Police and some of the clients were under the impression that two of the robbers had remained behind inside the shop. About 500 curious onlookers camped out in front of the supermarket to watch the drama unfold. Four ambulances were called to treat the injured.
A hostage negotiator was called to the scene about 16:00, but after two hours of unsuccessfully trying to contact the hostage takers, the police's special task team, who was specially flown from Durban and Pretoria, were placed in control of the situation.
The task force managed to enter the building without being noticed. They didn't find any armed men, but only frightened clients.
"There is no way in which the suspects could have escaped without us noticing them. They must have run away during the shoot-out between the robbers and police earlier on Tuesday afternoon," said Fatyela.
The task team searched the area, but found no sign of the suspects. The police confiscated the getaway car as well as two R5 rifles and a pistol.
The series numbers of the guns were filed off. According to Fatyela R5 rifles were issued only by the South African defence force and the police.
"We will send the weapons for ballistic tests to determine whether they had been used for other armed robberies. We will also check whether the guns were stolen from the defence force or the police," said Fatyela.
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