VIDEO UPDATE: Wood Road supermarket robbed twice on weekend

POLICE are investigating a case of armed robbery after staff were held at gunpoint on Sunday morning, 23 June at Mutlisave Supermarket on Wood Road in Montclair. Four men, one of them armed, held a gun to the cashier and took an undisclosed amount of money.

READ ABOUT IT HERE: WATCH: Wood Road supermarket robbed

The crime was captured by security cameras in the store and shows the men bravely committing the crime in broad daylight with their faces uncovered. The video shows three children walking in during the robbery who immediately flee when they realise what was happening.

SAPS provincial spokesperson, Lt-Col Thulani Zwane said the men made off with an undisclosed amount of goods, however, no one was harmed. “It is alleged by the complainant that on Sunday, 23 June at 8:50am on Wood Road in Montclair, she was performing her duties at a business premises when she heard the sound of a vehicle being revved outside. Immediately four unknown armed males entered and at gunpoint demanded the victim to open the till. They took an undisclosed amount of cash and liquor before fleeing the scene in their getaway vehicle,” he said.

Zwane added that there were no shots fired and that Montclair police were currently investigating the matter.

On the now viral surveillance footage posted by Melvin Veltman on Facebook, a woman is heard sharing incident information with what seems like police officers. “The one that went into the bottle store  was walking with a Johnny Walker Black in his hand. He was holding his pants but it looks like the gun went down his pants, so it (the gun) was probably in his pants. There was five of them in total. Obviously, the driver needs to stay inside the car because he was revving the car like it was going out of fashion. I think it was four that came inside the shop. He cocked the gun in my face as I was standing by the door,” she explains.

According to the owner of the supermarket, Deon Barkhuizen, in a twist of things, the store was first robbed just days before in the early hours of morning. “We had a break in on Friday morning at about 5am. Two vehicles came, it was a Corolla and a white Polo, both were unlicensed. There was even a child helping them,” he said.

“Only cowards come to women with guns. The people who do crime are so weak they don’t even know they’re being used by the devil to create fear and doubt in people’s lives. But we will be here, we’re not good at running, they will be caught and they will be brought to book, they need to get this warning as well,” said Barkhuizen.

He said his staff had received counselling and that they were not going to allow criminals to deter their lives and business. And while media attention was not what he wanted, he said he spoke out to raise public safety awareness. “Try to remain calm when these things happen, get an identification of these people, try to get a good look at their guns and the vehicles they come in. In this case, it could have been an Uber. Also, limit the risk, don’t flash money around. Don’t stop or block these people, if they come, the law will get hold of them. Just let them do whatever but do play ball, get camera assistance, especially with businesses,” said Barkhuizen.

He appealed to anyone who might have information about these crimes to contact the police. Contact the Montclair SAPS on 031 469 8219 or make an anonymous tip off to CrimeStop on 086 000 10111.

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