Hostage drama at Spar centre
2008-02-25 11:10
Rustenburg - Robbers held staff members of the Spar shopping centre hostage for longer than half an hour on Sunday morning.
The incident started at about 07:00 at the Geelhout Spar in Manuka Lane, Geelhout Park.
Raymond Carrim, one of the staff members who was held up, said six robbers overpowered the staff moments after he had unlocked the doors.
"They entered the shop along with us. We thought they were clients, as they were wearing ordinary jeans and T-shirts."
The robbers pulled out guns and told the nine staff members to lie down on the floor. They then robbed them of their cellphones and wallets, said Carrim.
The staff members were taken to an adjacent room.
According to Carrim one staff member phoned the police from his cellphone.
The robbers took Laura Swanepoel, the centre's administrative clerk, to an upper room, said her daughter, Riekie, 26.
"They stole her rings, bracelets and cash. One of them held her by the throat all the time."
The police arrived shortly afterwards, said police spokesperson captain Elsabé Augoustides.
Several shots were fired during a shootout between the robbers and the police.
The trapped robbers tried to flee through a section of the roof, but they were too heavy and fell through. They eventually shot the lock of a back door to pieces and fled from the scene, said Caroline Petsas, the owner of the centre.
According to Augoustides the robbers assaulted a staff member only known as Castos. Two robbers fled in his vehicle, a silver-coloured Toyota Corolla, while the others fled on foot.