An undisclosed amount of cash was looted, and a Fidelity Coin Services guard lightly injured during a robbery, but a quick-thinking sales representative of C&F Motor Spares in Hilton, Bloemfontein, may have saved his company from suffering major losses, and his colleagues from injury.
A group of armed men forced their way into the rear entrance of the business early this afternoon, just as guards from Fidelity Coin Services arrived to collect some of the day’s takings.
One of the company’s sales representatives was alerted to the commotion behind the building. He heard one of the robbers demand to be taken to the company’s safe. He managed to alert his coworkers, and they locked all entrances and exits.
The here, who asked to remain anonymous, told Bloemfontein Courant, “My reaction was to close everything and to keep everyone inside, and everyone outside, who was outside at the time.”
He didn’t want to speculate on what might have happened if he hadn’t managed to lock all the doors, but says he is glad that everyone escaped unscathed.
“Everybody is always happy that no one got injured. In any human being your first priority is to keep everyone safe. I think that’s just the natural thing to do.”
By late afternoon, police and forensic services were still on the scene, speaking to witnesses, and looking for evidence.
One of the Fidelity service employees was lightly injured in the heist, and was treated on the scene.
The robbers managed to loot all the money in the van, as well as an assault rifle.
Earl Coetzee/Earl@centralmediagroup.co.za
