Johannesburg - Just a week after it officially opened its doors to the public, the vicinity of the Mall of Africa in Midrand turned into a battleground on Wednesday.
A dispute between rival taxi associations escalated into a shoot-out outside the shopping complex in Waterfall City, leaving three people injured.
Gauteng police spokesman Captain Tsekiso Mofokeng told The Star on Thursday morning that seven firearms were seized.
He said at about 2pm, two taxi associations started firing at each other outside one of the mall’s entrances.
“This led to two people sustaining injuries,” he said.
Netcare 911 spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said one of the stray bullets hit a bystander in the chest and she had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital for further medical care.
“The woman is now in a stable condition and is recovering in hospital,” she said.
A member of one of the taxi associations also sustained moderate injuries during the shooting and was treated at the scene.
Mofokeng said police quickly reacted to the shooting, arresting four people at the scene.
“They will be charged with attempted murder and the possession of unlicensed firearms.
“We are hoping to make more arrests soon as investigations continue,” he said.
Police officers will be deployed to the premises today to monitor the area following the shooting.
Although the motive of the incident is not yet known, it is believed that taxi associations are battling over lucrative routes around the area created by the opening of the new mall.
This is not the first time that the construction of a new mall has escalated into violence between taxi associations.
In 2013, the construction of the Cradle shopping centre, along Hendrik Potgieter, was the sight of a bloody battle between taxi associations.
The shooting claimed the life of a taxi driver while another was wounded in the crossfire.
Two commuters were also injured.
Another mall was Clearwater Mall in Little Falls, where a number of shooting incidents took place several years ago.
@Karishma_Dipa
The Star
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