Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2014-05-27

A family from Lenasia, South of Johannesburg have been left traumatised after fours robbers held them hostage for almost an hour.

A family member who declined to be named said the incident took place on Monday at about 8:30pm in Ghambai Street in Extension 11B.

“My brother returned from salaah (prayer) after his friend dropped him off, entered the yard and knocked on the door to let my mother know he was back,” said the family member.

After the mother opened the door a man brandishing a gun ran up to the family member’s brother followed by three other men who pushed him in the house.

“When they pushed them into the house, my brother screamed “mummy’ which alerted the worker that was sleeping in the garage who went to investigate. He then alson had a gun pointed to his head.”

What transpired next was horrifying. The thugs tied up the brother, the mother and the worker and demanded cash and the keys to the safe.

“My brother told them I don’t have money and I don’t have a safe and they guy told them ‘you have businesses, you must have a safe and you must have money.’”

The ruthless thugs than dragged the mother through the passage of the home all the while the brother pleaded with the robbers not to hurt his mother.

Trying to protect his mother the brother was slashed with a knife across his forehead and hit on the head with the butt of a gun.

While the one robber remained with the family in the lounge, the other robbers ransacked the home grabbing electronics and valuables.

According to the family member, after grabbing their loot, the four suspects fled on foot or possibly in a getaway vehicle that was parked around the corner.

The brother who was wounded by the robbers was treated for a head wound at the Lenmed Private Hospital in Lenasia.

The police’s Kay Makhubela confirmed the incident.

“A case of house robbery was opened and no suspects have been arrested yet,” said Makhubela.

(Twitter: @Faizie143)