BLUEROUTE MALL HELPS THEIVES GET AWAY

On 03/03/2023 my sister and i went into mugg and bean in Blueroute mall to waste a bit of time while waiting for our lift to get us, we sat down in the outside area and received the menu, we suddenly decided that we don't want to be in mugg and bean, we put on menus down jn the table and left ....about 2 to 3 minutes later I remembered that I put my phone down on the table ( probably placed the menu on top hence me not seeing it when leaving) and ran back to get it ...at the point we the corner at sunglass hut and saw the waitress clearing our table of the menus when hurrying back my sister calls my phone which rang and rang u till it went to voicemail...the waitress the hurried back inside with the menus and when calling my phone again it was switched off ... I asked the people next to where we were sitting if they happened to see a phone on the table and they said no they did not and was also advised that there had been nobody walking up and down while we were gone that few moments besides the waitress that cleared the table ....there was a table of about 8 people behind who also said they had not see any phone on the table ....I then proceeded to ask the manager about it and trained concerns with regards to the waitress that cleared the table I asked to view the camera footage but was told that the cameras at mugg and bean only shows the inside sitting are and that the outside, I would need to get the footage for centre management. I security then leads me to the downstairs car parking and goes onto a room for about 10 minutes and then comes back and explains the matter to a woman sitting at the desk...at this point there is kk urgency from anymore...I then get told that I am not allowed to view the footage based on the POPI act as they need to protect the person that removed the phone from the table, I explained that the manager at mugg and bean as well as the security advised that there footage can be viewed. The centre manager then comes into the room laughing at the situation saying that he is sorry for the loss as though it is the funniest thing that had just happened not one bit on empathy shown laughing throughout the conversation he is having with me. I was and am still very disgusting at the behavior of this grown man. I have left my husband contact details with the center management as well as mugg and means management and was told that I would hear back from them with regars to the footage but to this day there had not been any contact from them. I had received and email stating that there is a new number associated with my phone and added it to whatsapp I have made a case at the police station as I have an image of the person who is using the phone or a relative or friend of the waitress who has taken the phone from the table.

I fully understand that I may never get my phone back but the way I was treated at mugg and bean and also the disrespect I was given by the centre manager needed to be mentioned.