A TOTAL of R60 000 was recovered at a Hillcrest shopping centre on Monday, 15 December thanks to the heroic efforts by Ensure Security’s site commander, Simphiwe Khanyeza, and security officer, Richard Ndimande.
A woman from a local business was followed from banking cash at a neighbouring centre. It is believed she had walked there. As she neared the centre the mugger swooped in, snatched the bag of cash and then fled down the road.
Ndimande, who was on duty at the centre’s car park at the time, witnessed the incident and immediately gave chase while radioing for back-up. Site commander, Khanyeza, headed to the back of the centre to intercept the mugger.
“He tackled the culprit bringing him to the ground and wrested the cash bag from him. The culprit managed to escape, but thanks to a concerted community effort, the Hillcrest Park Neighbourhood Watch task team, assisted by Ndimande, and Hillcrest SAPS, apprehended him a short while later.
The culprit, who was released on bail two weeks earlier for hijacking, was positively identified by Ndimande and further investigation by SAPS led to the identification of his two accomplices as well as the added arrest of their source of the information,”said Sean Connolly, operations director at Ensure Security.
The entire amount of cash was recovered and handed back to the store’s management.
Ensure said Khanyeza sustained injuries to the head, face and leg in the process of apprehending the mugger and was taken to Hillcrest Private Hospital for treatment. He is now now recovering at home. He and Ndimande are set to receive honorary awards from the company later this week.
