Sandton City upgrades security after Worker throat slit during robbery

Sandton City recently upgraded security installations after a shop assistant allegedly had her throat slit by two armed suspects, while on her way home.

Iconic shopping destination, Sandton City recently upgraded security installations after a shop assistant allegedly had her throat slit by two armed suspects, while on her way home.

The Sandton Chronicle reported on Thursday that the unnamed assistant, who did not want to be named for fear of further attacks, was attacked on June 27 while she was walking to her car in the tenants' parking lot at about 8pm.

According to the reports, the woman was approached by two men, one of whom was allegedly carrying a knife.

A parcel she was carrying was allegedly stolen before one of the men turned on her, cutting her throat with his knife.

The local newspaper cited sources saying some of the parkade lights were broken and that there had been no security guards in the vicinity at the time.

Sharon Swain, portfolio manager for Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square, said "ground force security are on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

She said the mall would be working with police to get to the bottom of the incident.

The newspaper quoted her as saying: "The safety and security of our tenants and shoppers is of paramount importance, and we take all reported incidents extremely seriously."

Meanwhile it was reported that the woman was treated at a local hospital where she received 12 stitches.

According to recent stats, an average of about 25 mall robberies take place every month in South Africa, with Gauteng being the highest risk province. KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape were the second highest risk areas.