Video footage of a woman appearing to use a young child to steal a phone from an elderly woman's handbag has been widely circulated on social media.
The incident happened at the Vincent SuperSpar in East London. It is unclear when exactly it occurred.
In the video, the victim flips her handbag over her shoulder and begins packing her groceries into a carry bag. The child then walks up behind her and manages to snatch what looks like her cellphone and walks away.
The woman in question stands close by, watching.
Gordon Pentecost, Spar group legal adviser, told News24 that the company was aware of the incident and police were investigating the matter.
"The footage is in the hands of the police and we will be in a position to comment once they have completed their investigations," he said.
Spokesperson for the Cambridge police station, Captain Mluleki Mbi, could not immediately confirm whether charges have indeed been laid in this matter.
Spar would not divulge any further information.