A big fuss at the entrance of a supermarket just before closing time has left a mother of three seeing red.
Innocent Lekitlane is considering legal action after the security of Shoprite in the Ikageng Gate Mall terrorised her two children and accused them of stealing a chocolate. The incident has put the training of security personnel firmly in the spotlight. According to Ms Lekitlane, she and two of her children went to buy a few things at around 17:00 on Friday afternoon. As they were about to leave the busy store, she quickly went back to slice a loaf of bread and left 10-year-old Bokamoso and 4-year-old Thato at the entrance. She returned to find the security guard emptying her shopping bags and searching through her groceries. Everything had been paid for.
‘At that moment, someone came up with the wrapping of a chocolate Flake and accused Thato of eating it. Later, they changed their story and suddenly Bokamoso was the culprit.
‘They detained us for about 2 hours. We felt embarrassed and humiliated and the customers were staring at us,’ she said, reliving the trauma. She says this whole ordeal has affected her family badly. ‘My daughter is traumatised and refuses to go shopping with me anymore. My son doesn’t understand-he just looked at me with those big brown eyes and said, “Mama, I did not eat any chocolate”.’ Innocent says the way the incident was handled was shocking. ‘They put my family in a bad light. I don’t believe that one of them took the chocolate as they were always under my watchful eye but, even if they did, they should have taken me aside and showed me the evidence.’
After all the humiliation, Innocent wants to warn all the mothers out there that this can happen to them, too. ‘Always keep an eye on your children when you are out shopping with them. The security is not always tactful when dealing with this kind of situation.’
Shoprite chain responds:
‘The Shoprite chain is very sensitive to the way that vulnerable people like children and the elderly are treated in its stores.
It has strict policies in place to deal with operational matters like security issues that may occur from time to time. Should there be any ill treatment of customers in its stores, action will be taken. In this instance, the chain is satisfied that the correct procedures were followed when contracted security staff spotted a child of approximately eight years old consuming a chocolate in its store.
‘As the mother was a distance away from the children at the time of the incident, the security only identified Mrs Lekitlane as the mother when the family left the premises. It was at this time that the security guard approached the mother.
No charges were pressed as a minor was involved and the family was not asked to pay for the item that was eaten.’
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