Police are hunting four men who robbed the Bonteheuwel post office of R100 0000.
According to Bishop Lavis police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi, the men entered the post office around 8am on Friday November 29, posing as customers. Three of the men stood in the queue while the fourth guarded the door.
When one of the robbers got to the front of the line, he told the teller to move away from the till, not to press any buttons and open the door to the tellers’ cubicles.
A woman who was at the post office during the robbery but who didn’t want to be named, said the man had threatened to shoot her if the teller didn’t obey his command.
“I didn’t even realise that the woman they were talking about killing was me. Before they left, they asked me if I have a phone, but I didn’t even look at him or answer him, and then they left. The way they came in you would never say that they are going to rob the post office. I only realised it when the one was busy with his firearm,” she said.
The men walked away with a sealed bag of R100 000 cash and also emptied the teller’s till.
According to the woman, they fled in the direction of Langa, in a bronze Jetta with registration CA654403, and exited at the Shell garage.
Bonteheuwel ward councillor Angus McKenzie said it was the first robbery at the post office this year.
“People across Cape Town need to be very careful and be aware of their surroundings. People are struggling financially, and they are doing all sorts of things to get money. People must please be aware and alert at all times. I hope that police will use the CCTV cameras to get information about the individuals who robbed the post office.
“It cannot be just be another open and closed case,” he said.
SA Post Office spokeswoman Martie Gilchrist said the post office had taken steps to increase security over the festive season.
“Fortunately, nobody was hurt, and our staff is receiving trauma counselling. In line with industry norms, business robberies increase as the festive season approaches and the post office has beefed up security in this regard,” she said
The robbers are still at large, and Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi urged anyone with information to call him at 082 302 8437.