Durban – A spaza shop in Blackburn, KwaZulu-Natal, was allegedly looted by members of the public shortly after five armed suspects robbed the business during a stock delivery on Friday.
According to Reaction Unit South Africa, the suspects stormed the shop while employees were offloading stock from a Toyota Hilux delivery vehicle.
The shop owner, an Ethiopian national, told Reaction Officers he was sitting outside the premises when he noticed the armed men approaching. The suspects allegedly produced firearms believed to be 9mm pistols and forced four employees into the shop while two others stood guard outside.
During the robbery, one of the suspects allegedly assaulted the cashier by striking him in the left eye with a firearm before demanding cash, cigarettes and valuables.
The suspects fled the scene in a red Hyundai i10 and a white Hyundai i10. No registration numbers were obtained.
Moments later, a crowd allegedly entered the business and looted items including bags of rice, chicken braai packs and cooking oil. Authorities said additional stolen goods could not immediately be confirmed.
Items stolen during the robbery included between R3 500 and R4 000 in cash and coins, packs of cigarettes, vehicle keys belonging to the delivery van, the DVR camera system and other valuables.
The injured cashier sustained trauma to his left eye. No arrests had been reported at the time of publication.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
