Disgusted!!!

I went to the mall this afternoon to do my usual shopping. I went into Edgars and did my shopping for perfumes and clothes to the value of about R8000. I went into the restrooms close to Spur at about 15: 50 pm. When I went into the toilets I had my Edgars shopping bag and my handbag with me. I went into the restroom and put my Edgars bag on the side of the toilet ( the 3rd toilet from the door). I took out sanitizer to clean the seat then when I was done I sanitized the seat again for the next person. During this time I received a distressing phonecall at about 16: 08 pm and walked out of the restroom to attend to the matter then I went to Queenspark. While I was in Queenspark about 10 – 15 minutes later it struck my mind that the Edgars bag is missing. I quickly went back to the restroom and there was no one and the bag was gone. I went outside and asked the security where their rooms are thinking that the cleaners have dropped the bag there in the lost and found locker.I was taken to the back by one of the securities and I was met by a lady who was on duty there. She told the other security not to come into the room with me I must go in alone even though the guy protested she insisted that he stands outside. I went in and explained what had happened to the lady. She advised that shes going to take a statement from me so that an investigation can be launched into the matter. She opened a page on a grey book on the desk and asked for my name and number which I gave to her. Then she told me she will call me. I stand to be corrected, my name and cellphone number are the actual statement to launch an investigation? Maybe I don’t know these things and how they work but surely as a qualified clinical psychologist I know what a statement looks like. I just feel my intelligence has been insulted and I have been disrespected.

I left that room confused and called my husband at about 16:39 pm to come cause something didn’t make sense. He arrived then we walked back to the rest rooms. He stood outside and I went in. I met a lady who I saw earlier after the incident. I asked her if she had picked up an Edgars bag and she asked me what time it was and I said roundabout 4pm. She said she was not attending to her work during that time she ran away to ‘chill’ somewhere during that time. Is this what they get paid for? “to chill” during working hours? She sent me to go ask another lady who was cleans by the banks if she didn’t see my bag. As my husband and I walked towards the lady by the bank the other lady came running behind us and ran past us to get to the other cleaner first. She started talking and telling her that I said that I lost my Edgars bag she was not attending to the toilets she was chilling somewhere at that time. The other lady quickly catch on and said she was not cleaning during the very same time she was also chilling somewhere in the mall. The other lady was being coached as to what to say. In my line of work if such happens people have something to hide. I asked them if there’s a CCTV footage and the said yes it only sees at the passage to the restrooms not in the rest rooms.

We left to go back to the control room. When we got there we found 2 police officers there busy with one gentleman. The lady asked me from behind the desk at the back not wanting to come closer if I found my clothes I said no. The police interjected and asked what had happened and I explained. We asked to see the CCTV footage at the toilets but she said I’m not allowed to I must go open a case with the police. The police said I cant open a case it was not theft its an internal matter that the centre must help me with as their client. She responded to the police and said she has taken down a statement and given it to the detective to have a look at the CCTV footage.

1) I want to see the statement I wrote and signed today in the control room. 2) Why must I go open a case with the police if my matter is with a detective that is already looking into it? 3) Who is this detective I want to see him. 4) The 2 cleaners and the lady in the control room know where my plastic is they are covering for each other.

I need a meeting with the 3 ladies and their respective supervisors together with the centre management cause something is not right with everything that happened. Maybe these people have friends in these shops and when customers loose their things they get exchanged to their sizes or other items or they even get refunded who knows cause my slip is gone with the bag.

I was quickly dismissed with the words that your clothes are already in the township being given to other people. Why are you investigating if my clothes are already in the location? This to me was saying don’t come back here anymore you will never find your goods again.

I need this matter to be looked into very seriously cause I’m sure such is happening without being reported and people have become comfortable.