Booze-craving burglars bust into Rustenburg hotel, tie up security guards

When a group of robbers burst in to a North West hotel on Monday 4 May, they demanded one thing – booze. 

A group of burglars broke into the StayEasy hotel in Rustenburg at 20:15 – just after curfew began – and demanded that staff on duty hand over liquor and give them access to rooms, where they proceeded to snatch valuable goods like televisions. 

Security guards ‘traumatised’ 

Prior to bursting into the lobby, the group of men had taken two security guards hostage at gun-point, leaving them tied up and traumatised, according to the hotel’s general manager, Willie Kruger. 

“First of all they requested access to the alcohol which obviously they wanted,” he said. 

“Their main priority was alcohol and then they wanted to grant access to the rooms so obviously to see what valuable items was in the rooms.”

Kruger said that the security guards would be receiving counselling. 

“We’re in contact with the security company just to be more vigilant obviously and just the guys that work at night as well just to be a bit more safe and be vigilant about their surroundings,” Kruger said.

Armed with pangas 

South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Colonel Adele Myburgh said that the group were armed with pangas and a firearm. 

“We are investigating a case of armed robbery at the StayEasy Hotel on Monday 4 May. Security personnel on duty were overpowered by seven suspects, who were armed with pangas and one firearm,” she said, adding that the group were all wearing balaclavas.

“They broke the windows of all the ground floor rooms and gained access. They then took plasma screens, linen, microwaves and other goods from the rooms, as well as the guard’s cell phones.” 

The security guards were tied up and took them about an hour to free themselves, Myburgh added. 

No arrests have been made.