Westville robbery victim recounts 25-second ordeal
"They grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me around, then simply threatened the other people who were walking towards us by waving their guns."
THE victim of Tuesday’s armed robbery, which unfolded outside a bank on Church Road in Westville, had inadvertently prophesised the incident.
“I actually told my wife that night that I would only take a portion of our cash to the bank to be deposited, just in case I got mugged,” he said. Then, in a cruel twist of fate the next day he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun, as three suspects ‘relieved’ him of R42 000.
Speaking to the Highway Mail under the promise of anonymity, the local businessman said he not only wanted to warn other bank users but also wanted to set the record straight on some of the inaccuracies released by central SAPS.
“I was actually going to the bank to deposit money when the incident occurred. I was not robbed while walking to my car. I was about three metres from the bank’s front door,” he said.
The three suspects, who were all wearing balaclavas, accosted the man in broad daylight, and brazenly robbed him while other people were in the vicinity.
“They grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me around, then simply threatened the other people who were walking towards us by waving their guns at them,” he said.
While holding a firearm mere inches from the resident’s forehead they snatched the bag of cash from under his arm, jumped in their getaway-car (a white Audi A3) and fled the scene.
“It happened so quickly. The whole thing was over in about 25 seconds,” he said. “I want to urge other people to remain vigilant, not only when they are leaving the bank, but also when they are going to the bank,” he added.
Brian Jackson, of Blue Security, encouraged the people to be as unpredictable as possible when travelling to and from the bank.
“Don’t go during the normal times. Pick different times and routes,” he said.
Communications officer at Westville SAPS, Capt Elizabeth Squires, echoed his sentiments saying, “People who have large sums of money to either draw or deposit are encouraged to keep the time and venue of transaction as closely guarded secret as possible.”
She also suggested people hire ‘trained, vetted and professional guards’ to escort them.
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