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Johannesburg – He was flooded with anger when a robber hit him against the chest with the butt of a revolver and demanded his possessions, said this year’s Mr South Africa, Adriaan Bergh, on Tuesday.
Bergh, 24, was robbed of his wallet and cellphone on Monday evening at 19:25 by four men during an armed robbery at the Nando’s restaurant in the Leaping Frog shopping centre in Fourways, Johannesburg.
The robbery took between five and ten minutes and Bergh said the robbers then calmly walked down the street after pushing their loot into their jacket pockets.
“Only once I started yelling at them to give back my stuff, did they start running,” said Bergh.
“I was very, very angry throughout the whole thing.”
Bergh, a student from Bela-Bela (Warmbaths) in Limpopo, was busy eating and reading a newspaper when people in the restaurant started screaming.
“When I looked up, two men with a revolver stormed into the eatery.”
“Everyone fell down. I was stunned and remained seated until a robber rushed towards me.”
Another two robbers meanwhile went to stand at the entrance.
“He wanted to grab my cellphone and I refused to give it to him. I got up and he hit me against the chest with the butt of the revolver and gestured towards my phone. This was when I realised what was really happening.”
'Stupid' reaction
The robber pushed Bergh to the floor.
Bergh continued to yell at the robbers to give back his SIM card.
His wallet was also taken, “and then I wanted my driver’s licence back. After I kept yelling, they took my licence from my wallet and threw it out with my bank cards,” said Bergh.
“I now know how stupid my reaction was. My male instinct just took over. You feel so angry and powerless. They were smaller guys than me, in a fair fight I would’ve beaten them.”
Police spokesperson warrant officer Sandra Jacobs said no one was injured in the robbery and no shots were fired. The robbers got away with an unknown amount of money and no one had been arrested.
Nando’s said in a statement two customers were in the restaurant during the robbery.
Bergh said it was unacceptable that South Africa had become such a violent country.
“Our government should start jacking up our security so that we, the people, feel safe again,” he said.
Bergh, 24, was robbed of his wallet and cellphone on Monday evening at 19:25 by four men during an armed robbery at the Nando’s restaurant in the Leaping Frog shopping centre in Fourways, Johannesburg.
The robbery took between five and ten minutes and Bergh said the robbers then calmly walked down the street after pushing their loot into their jacket pockets.
“Only once I started yelling at them to give back my stuff, did they start running,” said Bergh.
“I was very, very angry throughout the whole thing.”
Bergh, a student from Bela-Bela (Warmbaths) in Limpopo, was busy eating and reading a newspaper when people in the restaurant started screaming.
“When I looked up, two men with a revolver stormed into the eatery.”
“Everyone fell down. I was stunned and remained seated until a robber rushed towards me.”
Another two robbers meanwhile went to stand at the entrance.
“He wanted to grab my cellphone and I refused to give it to him. I got up and he hit me against the chest with the butt of the revolver and gestured towards my phone. This was when I realised what was really happening.”
'Stupid' reaction
The robber pushed Bergh to the floor.
Bergh continued to yell at the robbers to give back his SIM card.
His wallet was also taken, “and then I wanted my driver’s licence back. After I kept yelling, they took my licence from my wallet and threw it out with my bank cards,” said Bergh.
“I now know how stupid my reaction was. My male instinct just took over. You feel so angry and powerless. They were smaller guys than me, in a fair fight I would’ve beaten them.”
Police spokesperson warrant officer Sandra Jacobs said no one was injured in the robbery and no shots were fired. The robbers got away with an unknown amount of money and no one had been arrested.
Nando’s said in a statement two customers were in the restaurant during the robbery.
Bergh said it was unacceptable that South Africa had become such a violent country.
“Our government should start jacking up our security so that we, the people, feel safe again,” he said.
