A 53-year-old woman was allegedly forced to strip naked by a clothing outlet employee who accused her of stealing shoes.
The woman said she felt humiliated after she had just finished paying R1500 for the clothes she bought for her granddaughter at The Fix - formerly Fashion Express - store at Westgate Mall in Roodepoort on June 25.
Lettia Mokoena said she was stopped by one of the staff members who accused her of theft.
"She said I stole two pairs of shoes. I agreed to be searched and she led me to the fitting room," she said.
"She asked me to take off my dress and I did. She then asked me to take off my tight and I did. I was left with my panties on and she said I was not done. She said I must take off my panties. I asked her why and she spoke to me rudely. She said she was trained for the job and she knew what she was doing, so I took off my panties," she said.
Mokoena said the ordeal did not end there as the woman continued to instruct her to remove a sanitary pad she had on.
"She said I must remove it. I just stood there and looked at her. I had put my knees together to prevent it from falling. She then split my thighs with her hands. She did not find anything. She said I was free to go."
A humiliated Mokoena added: "The girl is younger than my daughter. I am hurting. I feel insulated. I could not sleep that night," she said.
The store's assistant manager Nono Keabaitsi said stripping customers suspected of stealing was not their policy.
"It was wrong for her to do that. I tried to apologise to the woman when she came with her daughter to complain but they were too angry to listen to me," said Keabaitsi.
"I will follow up with the manager to find out why she did not take action."
Mokoena said the woman and the store did not show any remorse.
"They are not showing any remorse. I am still hurting."
Mokoena's daughter Tshidi was fuming.
"The mere fact that the woman was not suspended shows they are not remorseful. Sorry alone is not enough. They treated my mother the way they did because she is black.
"They would never do that to a white person. She has no respect for the elderly. She had the nerve to even open her thighs and all they say is sorry; that is not acceptable," she said.
Mokoena said she tried to open a case at the Rooderpoort police station but was turned off .
"The officer at the charge office and a detective I was referred to said they did not deal with such cases.
"They said I must find a lawyer and open a civil case," she said.
Gauteng provincial police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini disagreed with the police officers and said they would be investigated.
"Police may not refuse to open a complaint. The victim must complain to the station commander and if it established that the members neglected their duties, a misconduct case will be investigated."
