A Bangladeshi shopkeeper was shot and wounded during an alleged robbery.
After he was shot, Abdul Rokon, 34, urged fellow workers to handover the shop’s cash before more people got hurt.
Abdul was shot in the back after a gang of eight armed men stormed into their supermarket in Main Road, Strand, on Tuesday evening.
The attack comes a day after at least eight Somali spaza shops were looted in Asanda Village, also in Strand.
Angry Asanda Village residents reportedly vandalised the shops after a resident was shot dead, allegedly during an argument with a Somali shopkeeper.
In the unrelated attack on Tuesday, Abdul’s colleague, Abdul Malek, 28, says their attackers fired a shot after closing the doors and demanded money from the cashier.
“We were about four guys at the shop and I stood outside,” the traumatised man tells the Daily Voice.
“They came from the side of the shop then pushed me inside and told us to lie on the floor.”
“He [cashier] said the money is in the till, then he opened it and gave it to them.
“They asked for more money but the cashier said that’s the only money.
“At that time one of them shot [Rokon] in the back and told the cashier to give all the money.
“Rokon told the cashier to give the rest of the money before he shoots the rest of us as well.”
The robbers fled with between R15 000 to R20 000, as well as cellphones and a laptop.
“It’s not the first time the shop was targeted, the last time they just took our money and left,” adds Malek.
Police spokesperson Constable Noloyiso confirms the incident.
“Police are investigating a case of attempted murder and business robbery.
“No one has been arrested,” she says.