Africa-Press – South-Africa. KwaZulu-Natal police are investigating a violent robbery at a popular Italian restaurant at Umngeni Park in Durban.
Three people were shot during the incident at Andrea’s Italian Cafe on Brown’s Drift Road on Thursday. They were taken to hospital for treatment.
Other patrons were robbed of wallets, cellphones and jewellery, among other items.
Captain Nqobile Gwala, KZN police spokesperson, confirmed the incident to News24.
“Greenwood police are investing cases of business robbery and attempted murder following an incident in which employees were reportedly robbed by four armed men on Thursday, 30 March, in Umgeni Park.
“It is alleged that the victims were performing their duties when they were accosted by unknown men, who robbed them of an undisclosed amount of money and cellphones. While fleeing, the suspects are reported to have opened fire and wounded three customers who were transported to hospital for medical attention,” Gwala said.
Christopher Lowe, a patron who was at the restaurant at the time of the incident, said they left the scene feeling “shocked and shaky, but grateful to be alive”.
He said the gunmen ordered staff and patrons to the floor, and put guns to their heads.
Lowe described the people who were shot as “badly injured”.
He expressed gratitude that private security personnel arrived on the scene “within minutes”, but lamented that it took the police more than 45 minutes to get there.
This is the latest incident in a list of brazen attacks on civilians in public spaces in Durban.
Last Thursday, ALS paramedics said they were called to a scene where a man was shot in the leg during a robbery at a restaurant on Sarnia Road in the Bellair area, Durban.
Last month, well-known musician Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and his friend, Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, were shot and killed, in full view of other patrons, outside Wish restaurant on the popular Florida Road in Morningside.
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