The day started like any other for Elspark resident Elize Swanepoel (64), but October 3 will remain embedded in her memory for years to come.
She arrived at Ackermans in Elspark, just after 9am, to scan her salary.
“The doors were open when I arrived at the store and nothing looked out of the ordinary.
“As I approached the counter I saw three Ackermans employees and two men, who I thought also worked there as they were standing at the counter,” she explained.
She approached the counter and asked one of the employees to scan her salary.
“She didn’t speak to me, so I asked are you going to help me and still she kept quiet.
“All of a sudden the man standing next to me pulled out a gun and said he was going to shoot me.
“After threatening me with the gun he put it away,” Swanepoel said.
Swanepoel still didn’t realise what was going on and became even more confused when the man said it was a robbery.
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“I thought he was saying that I had robbed the store, so I told him that I hadn’t stolen anything,” she said.
The man reportedly pulled out his firearm for a second time and threatened Swanepoel once again.
“After that my vision went black and I realised I had been hit with the gun,” she said.
The suspect allegedly then grabbed Swanepoel by the arm and ordered her to come with him, as she told him once again she hadn’t stolen anything.
“He took me to the back room where there was a large safe.
“I thought maybe once we’d reached the back room he was going to tell me what I was accused of stealing,” Swanepoel explained.
Swanepoel was put in the safe with another woman and man who she believed were Ackermans staff members.
“They had brought my handbag, which I had left on the counter, to the back room and emptied it.
“He took the R4 860 I had in my purse and put it in his pants. He also took the R50 I had received from my employer, which was in the side compartment of my handbag,” explained Swanepoel.
Swanepoel was ordered to turn around, as she was looking at the suspects.
“He said turn around, I am going to kill you now.
“I just put my hands over my ears and said to God if you want me to live I will,” she said.
The suspects allegedly stole the cellphones from the safe before locking Swanepoel and the other two in the safe.
“I said to the woman please can I go, I need to call my employer.
“She told me to keep quiet and peeped through a hole in the safe to see if the suspects had left.
“After some time the woman at the counter came and unlocked the safe and called the police,” she said.
Swanepoel claimed she was the only person hurt during the robbery and was taken to hospital for treatment.
The Elsburg police confirmed that they are investigating a case of business robbery.
“It is alleged that one suspect went into the shop pretending to be a customer.
“He threatened the employees with a firearm and was then joined by three other men,” said communications officer for the Elsburg SAPS Const Daphney Phooko.
“The men instructed all the customers and employees who were in the store to put their cellphones inside a basket.”
The suspects reportedly instructed one of the employees to open the safe.
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“The time delay safe can only be opened every 39 minutes,” said Phooko.
The suspects took an undisclosed number of cellphones from the safe before they fled the scene.
Phooko confirmed Swanepoel was assaulted but claimed it was with an open hand, contradicting Swanepoel’s reports that she was pistol-whipped.
No arrests have been made and police are appealing to the community for information that could assist in the arrest of the suspects.
The community can call the Elsburg Police Station on 011 827 2060.
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