Thozi Manyisana

Thozi Manyisana

An elderly Eastern Cape woman who only sees guns on television got the fright of her life on Tuesday when she was caught in the middle of an armed robbery.

Nompuku Mtiki, 75, of Emthonjeni, near Bhisho, was still shaking with fear when she recounted the incident to Sowetan yesterday.

She said she was finishing her shopping in the township at about 5pm when three armed men clad in balaclavas entered the shop.

"I was ordered to lie down and I obeyed. A gun was pointed at me. It was the first time I saw a gun, I only see them on TV," she recalled.

The men then charged the two Malawians who manage the shop, tying up one of them while the other was hit with a firearm on the forehead.

The men then emptied the till, which was full of money because Monday is the day social grants get paid in the township, and fled.

It was impossible to ascertain the amount of money stolen because the Malawians refused to speak to the media.

Police said they were investigating a case of robbery but no arrests had been made yet.