Cape Town – Ten hostages have been rescued from inside the Nyanga Junction shopping centre following a standoff between officers and robbers which lasted several hours, Western Cape police said on Monday.
The hostages were employees of the Shoprite store the robbers targeted.
Shoprite said that the hostages were five supermarket employees, three contracted security personnel and two employees from the contracted cleaning company.
"Five supermarket employees, three contracted security personnel and two employees from the contracted cleaning company were held hostage by the armed men inside the store for almost 12 hours before they were freed by the SAPS shortly before 18:00 tonight," the retailer said in a statement.
"The supermarket chain is concerned for their employees and contractors’ emotional wellbeing and will support them with whatever they require to recover from this terrible ordeal.
"Shoprite deplores the incidences of violence in its communities that prevents ordinary citizens to conduct their normal business in public places and deprives them of their safety."
Shoprite said that the three robbers attacked when the store was preparing for trading at around 6am, two hours before opening.
Police spokeswoman Noloyiso Rwexana said: "SAPS [SA Police Service] experts comprising [of] hostage negotiators, Task Force members, National Intervention Unit and detectives descended on the premises early this morning following an attempted armed robbery. Several shots were heard inside the mall."
She said a security guard was currently fighting for his life in hospital after he was shot when the robbers engaged in a shootout with the mall's security personnel early on Monday morning.
One of the suspected robbers was also left wounded. Police later moved in, sending in specialised policing units.
"Of the 11 people taken out of the building, 10 are said to be hostages employed by the retail store and one the suspect who was earlier injured.
The suspect was treated on the scene and taken to hospital under police guard."
Police were still combing the scene to search for other suspects, Rwexana said.
No customers were on the scene before the SAPS arrived and took control of the scene.
Deputy police minister Bongani Mkongi was expected to visit the scene on Monday night.