- A group of parishioners from Maitland Moravian church were shocked when four armed robbers invaded their band practice and stole personal belongings.
- The robbers, who did not wear masks, threatened the members and took cellphones, car keys, and a trumpet.
- Police are investigating the incident, and no arrests have been made yet.
Parishioners from the Maitland Moravian church are still reeling in shock after four armed robbers stormed the church and made off with their personal belongings on Monday 29 July.
A member of the church, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said members were busy with band practice when the men walked in, around 19:20.
“We just started practice, that’s when we saw the first guy walking in with a gun pointed at us. At that moment you don’t realise what is happening. Only when I saw the other guys walking in, that’s when it really hit me.”
The source said the robbers were brazen enough not to wear any masks.
“One suspect walked around a bench and hit one of the boys on the forehead with his firearm saying, ‘I told you to lie down’. When we laid down, they started searching us. One said to me, ‘If I find anything on you that you are hiding, I will shoot you’.”
The parishioner described it as a traumatic experience.
“They asked that we take them to the office, and we told them we don’t have an office on the premises. I can’t describe the feeling, as I was lying, I was thinking ‘are they going to shoot us?’ This is the first time something like this happened.”
Stolen
The robbers made off with the church members’ cellphones, car keys and a trumpet.
“They also took a prayer box, they probably thought there was money in there. We were still lying on the floor when they left because we were too scared to lift our heads. Then we heard a car drive off.”
Provincial police spokesperson, Cpt FC van Wyk, says a business robbery case is being investigated.
“According to reports, a 60-year-old complainant was in church with other church members for brass practice when the suspects entered and threatened them with firearms, robbed them of their belongings, and fled the scene.”
Van Wyk says no arrests have yet been made.
Cheslyn Steenberg, Ward 56 councillor, condemned the incident and says he is engaging with the leadership of the church.
“I will assist the church with the necessary assistance they require. I am having a meeting with the security cluster including Maitland CID, police, and security companies so that we can increase visibility across the ward at all our religious institutions and shopping centres. I encourage people to leave their personal items at home, unfortunately, we have to live this way because criminals have no empathy,” says Steenberg.
Anyone with any information is requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
