[imagesource:gencraftai]

Armed robbers managed to run off with nearly half a million rand after attacking a man at Kenilworth Centre on Monday.

A 47-year-old man, accompanied by his employer, was walking towards the mall entrance carrying a black backpack brimming with cash when two armed suspects intercepted them. The suspects brandished their weapons, threatening the duo with guns to their heads.

The culprits successfully fled with R486,000 in cash and the victim’s firearm, masking their identities to evade detection.

Gouwa Waja, the spokesperson for Kenilworth Centre, confirmed via Cape Argus that an armed robbery occurred in the parking area.

Hours after the morning incident, CCTV footage of the robbery emerged on social media.

*Armed robbery*

Armed robbery and hijacking kenilworth centre parking Cape Town, Police notified pic.twitter.com/Xkpq4dh9Hu

— Cape Town Community Safety Reports (@MohauKgolokwane) April 22, 2024

You can see the man carrying the backpack being stopped by a gun-toting suspect, who lunges for the backpack while another suspect emerges and takes the man’s firearm. Within seconds, the suspects swiftly fled in a silver Toyota Etios, while the victim reached for his cellphone and dialled for assistance.

Waja said that the incident involved at least two perpetrators who fled with an undisclosed sum of cash, adding that no tenants or customers sustained any injuries during the incident.

“The mall’s security team acted swiftly, immediately contacted SAPS and we are cooperating fully with the officers in their investigation efforts.”

According to police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk, Claremont detectives are investigating the armed robbery case following the incident.

The victim and his colleague were about to deposit their wads of cash at a bank in the mall.

Fidelity Services Group’s head of communications and marketing, Charnel Hattingh, advised small businesses to take extra precautions when handling cash.

“The small business sector is a major job creator in South Africa and contributes an estimated R1.5 trillion to the GDP. Keeping them secure and safe from crime is therefore an obvious priority, but small ‘mom and pop’ shops can often not afford the same kind of sophisticated security systems that bigger companies can afford,” she said.

“There is, however, still a lot that can be done to protect these small and medium enterprises from crime and criminals.”

Hattingh advises that businesses scrutinise their security, “from the perimeter inwards – or, better still, have a risk evaluation done by a reputable security company”.

“Support from a guarding or armed response service provider is a good extra layer of protection for staff who are undertaking this daily.

She further advises that when criminals strike, it is best not to resist them and assure them that you will cooperate.

“They must see that you will not take any action that will jeopardise your safety and that you are not planning any quick or unexpected movements, do not argue with them, as they are in control.

Victims of these kinds of attacks also ought to consider trauma counselling to deal with the ripple effects of being so brutally attacked.

[source:capeargus]