Zinhle Mapumulo

A granny with a walking stick has been accused of robbing at least two shoppers at a mall after duping them into helping her carry heavy bags from her car.

The elderly woman was believed to be working as a decoy for a syndicate operating at Maponya Mall in Soweto.

The trio targets young men standing in queues either to withdraw or deposit money at banks.

Kabelo Dube, 18, who recently fell victim to the granny said: “I never suspected anything wicked about the old woman as she looked like a pensioner and had a walking stick.”

“A young man who was with the old woman came to me while I was standing in the queue to deposit money at a bank.

“He asked if I could assist him offload his granny’s bag from his car. He said the bags were heavy as they were full of five cent coins that she wanted to exchange at the bank,” Dube said.

Dube followed him to his car which was parked at the bus stop near the Mall entrance. The old woman was following slowly behind.

“On our way to the car we met another guy and it appeared they all knew each other. When we got to the car the man opened the boot and waited for me to help him offload the bags,” he said.

The car was a white Toyota Corolla. While bending to lift up a bag, Dube felt a gun pressed against his head.

“I was then ordered to get into the car. By then the granny was sitting in the front seat and the other guy in the driver’s seat. I got into the car and we drove off. After driving for a while they took my money – R1200 – opened the door, and forced me out of the car,” Dube said.

“I went back to the mall and reported the incident to the security guards, who advised me to go to a police station and open a case. Before I could leave another man came into the security control room to report that he had also been robbed by two men and a granny,” he said.

The pair ended up going to the Kliptown police station together, where they reported the thefts.

Capt Nondumiso Mpantsha on Thursday confirmed that a case of theft was opened at Kliptown police station. “We are still hunting for the suspects.”