Job seekers intimidate customers
Supermarket owner says he has had to escort customers out of the supermarket because they were scared of all the men outside.
JOB seekers loitering outside the premises of an Effingham supermarket are having a crippling effect on business. Pravesh Ramfol, owner of Top of the Rock Supermarket said the entrance to his business is sometimes swamped by more than 60 men looking for jobs and this he said is driving customers away. He estimates the supermarket is losing more than R25 000 a month and said he is at his wits end.
“I understand we all want to provide for our families but unfortunately this is having a knock on effect on my business. Sometimes customers struggle to get into the premises and when they park, before they get out of their cars, they are surrounded by men pushing and shoving saying they are looking for jobs. School children who used to come into the store before going to school in the mornings have also stopped shopping. It’s highly intimidating,” he said.
Ramfol added he has also had to escort customers out of the store at times because they were scared of all the men outside. “Marshall Security have been great, every time we’ve had a problem, they have chased the men away, however they are back a day later. This shouldn’t become a business cost, but something has to be done. The entrance of the supermarket has become a magnet for these job seekers,” said the exasperated businessman.
Last month Top of the Rock was the scene of an armed robbery when armed men wielding AK47s stormed the premises and robbed customers as well as the supermarket owner. As they left the store the men fired several shots into the security gate and the entrance walls.
“We are definitely on edge since the robbery. Two businesses were robbed thisweek in Effingham and the crime rate has spiraled out of control. I’m concerned it could happen again. We don’t know who’s looking for a job and who’s out there to cause problems,” Ramfol said.
