Dramatic scenes broke out at Southernwood’s Malcomess Mall on Friday evening when 12 heavily armed gangsters robbed the Debonairs Pizza franchise.
The gang is believed to have hit a Peddie business earlier that day.
Malcomess Mall manager Eric Moss said he was told by the police that the men are suspected to be a well-known gang from Port Elizabeth.
“The police told me they believe the crew hired a car from Port Elizabeth and rob businesses as they drive pass towns all the way to the Transkei.”
Mall security manager Sebenzile Somi said the men stormed the shop at 9.30pm and demanded cellphones from the four employees.
Somi said the men put all the phones in a basket before taking cash from the till.
There were 10 customers in the shop and the mall was bustling.
More drama erupted in the mall parking lot when the robbers exchanged gunfire with the mall’s security team.
“They fled on foot off Gately and then joined St Peter’s Road where their getaway car was parked before escaping via the North East Expressway,” Somi said.
No one was injured but Somi said during the high-speed chase on foot, the security guards caught “a wrong person”.
Yesterday, Debonairs and Fishaways manager Walter Khulani said his fear was that the franchise owner would close down the branch and people would lose their jobs.
Khulani said this was the pizza outlet’s third robbery in two years.
The shop was robbed twice in 2015.
The outlet is owned by well-known businessman John Williamson, who also owns a chain of Steers, Debonairs and Fishaways outlets in Gonubie, Hemingways, Oxford Street and on the Esplanade.
“We are now operating in fear every time it gets dark. We are scared and we don’t know what the boss might say since his shop has been targeted by robbers.”
Khulani said the business, which relies heavily on student custom, regretted the incident which put the lives of customers at risk.
In October 2015 at close of business, two men knocked on the door with a box of pizza pretending to complain.
“When we opened the door, one of them opened the box and took out a gun. They then fled with the store money. In June, we were hit by two guys as well,” said Khulani.
Moss believes that his mall is being targeted.
Last month, a mall security guard, Zukile Mhlakaza, was killed by a customer during a parking rage incident.
This was only a few weeks after ATM card cloning suspects were beaten to a pulp by angry customers.
East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print. — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
Robbers get their slice at Debonairs
The gang is believed to have hit a Peddie business earlier that day.
Malcomess Mall manager Eric Moss said he was told by the police that the men are suspected to be a well-known gang from Port Elizabeth.
“The police told me they believe the crew hired a car from Port Elizabeth and rob businesses as they drive pass towns all the way to the Transkei.”
Mall security manager Sebenzile Somi said the men stormed the shop at 9.30pm and demanded cellphones from the four employees.
Somi said the men put all the phones in a basket before taking cash from the till.
There were 10 customers in the shop and the mall was bustling.
More drama erupted in the mall parking lot when the robbers exchanged gunfire with the mall’s security team.
“They fled on foot off Gately and then joined St Peter’s Road where their getaway car was parked before escaping via the North East Expressway,” Somi said.
No one was injured but Somi said during the high-speed chase on foot, the security guards caught “a wrong person”.
Yesterday, Debonairs and Fishaways manager Walter Khulani said his fear was that the franchise owner would close down the branch and people would lose their jobs.
Khulani said this was the pizza outlet’s third robbery in two years.
The shop was robbed twice in 2015.
The outlet is owned by well-known businessman John Williamson, who also owns a chain of Steers, Debonairs and Fishaways outlets in Gonubie, Hemingways, Oxford Street and on the Esplanade.
“We are now operating in fear every time it gets dark. We are scared and we don’t know what the boss might say since his shop has been targeted by robbers.”
Khulani said the business, which relies heavily on student custom, regretted the incident which put the lives of customers at risk.
In October 2015 at close of business, two men knocked on the door with a box of pizza pretending to complain.
“When we opened the door, one of them opened the box and took out a gun. They then fled with the store money. In June, we were hit by two guys as well,” said Khulani.
Moss believes that his mall is being targeted.
Last month, a mall security guard, Zukile Mhlakaza, was killed by a customer during a parking rage incident.
This was only a few weeks after ATM card cloning suspects were beaten to a pulp by angry customers.
East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print. — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
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