Extremely disappointing response from Cashbuild Acornhoek staff during an assault**

I am extremely disappointed and disturbed by what happened outside Cashbuild at Acornhoek Mall.

I was physically assaulted in front of the Cashbuild premises by a man known to me as **Nyiko Ngobeni**, whom I understand to be the owner of Quite Vibes in Dwarsloop. During the assault, I screamed loudly for help, yet Cashbuild staff who were present did not come to my assistance. They stood and watched while I was being assaulted and did not appear to take any action to help me or intervene.

During the incident, the man also took my phones and smashed them. Despite the seriousness of what was happening, I felt completely helpless and abandoned while people who were in a position to at least call for assistance simply continued with their activities.

After the incident, I went into Cashbuild and asked to speak to the manager. I wanted to understand why none of the staff had assisted me, especially when I was clearly calling for help. The response from the manager was particularly upsetting. I was told that she did not intervene because the person involved was a client of Cashbuild. I was told that the only assistance they could provide was to make the CCTV footage available.

I understand that staff may have policies regarding physically intervening in an altercation, and I am not necessarily expecting employees to put themselves in physical danger. However, there were other ways they could have assisted, such as calling security, contacting the police, or otherwise seeking help while the assault was taking place.

What concerns me most is the apparent lack of urgency and compassion shown while I was being attacked and screaming for help. Being told afterwards that nothing was done because the person was a client made the situation even more distressing.

I am asking Cashbuild to seriously review what happened, including the conduct of the staff members who witnessed the incident and the response from management. Customers should be able to expect a basic level of concern and assistance when a serious incident is occurring directly in front of the premises.

I would also like Cashbuild to ensure that the relevant CCTV footage is preserved and made available to the appropriate authorities, as this footage may be important evidence of what happened.