Muizenberg block hit by armed robbery, fire

A fire that destroyed a restaurant at a Muizenberg block of flats on Monday followed an armed robbery at an adjacent liquor store there three days earlier.

On Friday August 9, four men, one of whom had a gun, robbed the PicardiRebel liquor store at the Nautilus block in Sanderling Road before fleeing in a light blue VW Polo driven by a fifth man, according to the store’s manger, David Mateleka.

The man with the gun had pointed it at the staff while the others had taken cellphones, stock and money from the till, he said, adding that it was the third robbery at the store since he took over as manager in June last year.

“My staff and I are very traumatised, and although we got counselling, we don’t know when it will happen again,” he said.

Then, on Monday, the staff had to evacuate the shop due to a fire at the Naked Chef Taproom and Foodbar next door.

A gas explosion is believed to have caused the fire that destroyed the restaurant, according to the City’s fire department.

Mr Mateleka said he had heard a loud noise and a woman crying for help at about 11.30am

He said the woman, who had sustained several burns, had shouted that the gas stove had exploded when she had turned it on.

City Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Jermaine Carelse said they had been alerted to the fire at 11.35am.

Responding firefighters from Lakeside, Mitchell’s Plain and Fish Hoek had found the entire restaurant on fire, he said.

The fire had destroyed the restaurant by the time it had been extinguished at 12.45pm, he said.

“The liquor store was only smoke-logged, and the firefighters cleared the area,” he said.

A woman had been treated at the scene and taken to hospital.

Mr Mateleka said he had evacuated the liquor store and had switched off all electrical appliances when the store had started to fill with smoke.

“The flames were out of control, and it wasn’t possible to use a small fire extinguisher.”

He was busy assessing the impact of the fire, but the liquor store did not appear to have suffered any damage, he said.

“There was just a lot of smoke in the shop.”

Nautilus trustee Maggie Follett-Pringle said the woman had sustained second-degree burns to one of her feet, her hands and forearms.

The roof above the businesses was made of wood and if the wind had picked up the fire could have done a lot more damage, she said.

Some of the nearby flats had been damaged and a forensic fire expert and engineer would do a site visit this week, she said, adding that the restaurant had been cordoned off and a security guard had been posted.

“It is a tragedy for the restaurant owner as it was a great gathering place that had great takeaways.”

Muizenberg police spokesman Captain Stephen Knapp said a case of business robbery had been opened.

The Naked Chef Taproom and Foodbar could not be reached for comment.