Caxton News Service reports that employees of Lauds Foundry Equipment in Wadeville, East Rand, were subjected to a nightmarish time on Wednesday when the company was invaded by 15 men.  

The robbery left one man dead and employees traumatised.  At about 06h50, 15 men entered the business in Kabeljou Road.  Ten men of them were armed with firearms.  After entry was gained, all the employees present at that stage were tied up with shoelaces, as were others who arrived later.  When the last employee arrived, the suspects approached him and spoke to him.  However, it is thought the employee, a 75-year-old man, who spoke Portuguese, and the criminals misunderstood each other due to the language barrier.  One of the suspects shot the man once in the upper body, fatally wounding him.  The suspects then forced one of the security officers to show them how to operate the forklift, which they used to load drums onto an eight-ton truck.  More than 50, 250kg drums of nickel were taken.  Computers and employees’ cellphones were also taken.  The nickel is worth more than R6-million.

• Read this report in full at The Citizen

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page