Greenstone yesterday

Update: Alex Eliseev of 702, who covered the Japan earthquake in fine detail, is reporting that several cars were hit by the hijackers as they opened fire at random in an effort to get SAPS off their trail. No one was injured, but the thought of having bullets hit your car as you come down from the M54 is chilling.

Secondly, it was not Blockwatch folk, but a contracted security company, which pursued the criminals.

Original post: My wife Karen was on her way to a client meeting with me in Bryanston when she saw the most extraordinary police activity down Modderfontein Road.

Here, as far as we can work out, is what happened:

* A Glenhazel man was robbed and hijacked after leaving an FNB branch
* Three men raced away and were pursued by local Blockwatch folk
* A SAPS helicopter and SAPS in cars cornered them in Modderfontein
* A fierce gun battle ensued, with the robbers firing at random at drivers, no more than 3km from the M54, which links Linbro Park and Modderfontein
* No one was injured. The Corolla was badly damaged, but after a 90-minute manhunt the three suspects were caught and are in jail.

And this happened.

http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=65007

Greenstone Mall evacuated after bomb scare
Jacob Moshokoa | 10 Hours Ago

Staff and shoppers were evacuated from the Greenstone Mall on Gauteng’s East Rand on Tuesday following a bomb scare.

Police received a tip-off that a device was placed at the FNB bank in the Edenvale mall. Shoppers were then evacuated and streets around the mall were cordoned off.

“A lady received a telephone call from a guy who said there was a bomb in the bank,” said the police’s Robbie Roberts. “The Greenstone management evacuated the whole Greenstone Mall and a bomb disposal unit is at the scene at the moment.”