A low wall was the only thing that stood between Lungiswa Dyani and sudden death at the Food Lover’s Market in Cape Town.
|||Cape Town - A low wall was the only thing that stood between Lungiswa Dyani and sudden death on Wednesday. Working the morning shift at Food Lover’s Market in Lower Loop Street, Dyani was preparing sushi when she heard police sirens soon after 8am.
“When I looked up I saw a man running down the street. I looked to see where he was coming from and there was a car (a silver Mercedes-Benz) with no one inside. It was rolling down the road. Next to it were two men - both were running and one was carrying a gun.”
Dumbstruck, Dyani watched as the Mercedes hurtled in her direction. Through the window she came nearly face to face with the gun-toting man, as he made a last-ditch attempt to re-enter the vehicle. Moments later, the car mounted the pavement and smashed through the window. Only after the glass came flying past her did Dyani make a run for it. Fortunately a low wall in front of the window stopped the car.
Meanwhile one of the suspects had entered the shopping complex, taking refuge in one of the restrooms.
“I had no idea what was going on. But when the police came running after him, I just pointed in the direction of the toilets,” said a security guard, who asked not to be named, at the entrance of the Food Lover’s Market.
Police apparently entered the restroom and asked the suspect to come out from behind a locked door. According to employees, the man was forcibly removed, handcuffed and led away.
Two hours after the crash it was business as usual. As police investigated the vehicle behind crime scene lines, staff vacuumed up the last of the glass from the sushi counter as customers sipped coffee and ate snacks nearby.
The Cape Argus caught up with Dyani on an early lunch break.
“Sho, I just wanted to calm down for a bit. But I’ll get back to work. Just not on the sushi counter today! Anywhere but there,” she laughed.
Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the arrest of a 33-year-old man.
“The suspect was one of three people spotted near a bank under suspicious circumstances,” said Van Wyk, adding that he was charged with reckless and negligent driving. He was to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court today.
Police are searching for two suspects and have asked people to report information to the Cape Town Central police at 021 467 8001 or Crime Stop at 086 001 0111.
daneel.knoetze@inl.co.za
Cape Argus