Uniforms are meant to be trusted visual markers helping to identify those with a purpose. Alleged impostors abused both that trust and the purpose when they donned the attire of a well-known internet shopping site to rob two employees at gunpoint on Sunday, 16 February.
A female employee was working her usual shift at the Takealot Pickup Point on William Nicol Drive, Constantia Kloof. Just before 10pm, a security guard escorted two men dressed in Takealot uniforms into the office under the impression they were fulfilling standard duties. The men drew their guns, tied up the security guard and asked the female employee for the keys to the safe. It is reported that the keys were not on the premises so the impostors attempted to open the safe manually.
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Florida Police spokesperson, Sergeant Mpho More confirmed, “The female employee was accosted by two unknown African males wearing the company’s clothes and were armed with rifles. The key to the safe was not there so they tried to grind open the safe, without success. They took three cellphones and a hand radio, and fled the scene in a white Hyundai H1.”
Takealot is aware of the robbery and responded via their public relations representatives, Atmosphere Communications, stating, “A Takealot Delivery Team Franchise in Roodepoort was targeted in an armed robbery. No employees were harmed during the incident and no Takealot customer orders were stolen. Takealot is providing the South African Police Service with all available information relating to this incident and a police investigation is currently under way.”
The armed men are still on the loose and police encourage members of the public not to engage them. Members of the public who have any information are asked to report it to the Florida Police Station.
