A man was robbed of R7 200 by two armed suspects while withdrawing cash from an ATM at Hazyview Junction Mall on Tuesday night (August 5).

According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, the incident occurred at around 21:45. The victim was at a Capitec ATM when two men appeared and pointed a firearm at him.

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“They took the R2 200 he had in his hands and then forced him to withdraw another R5 000 before letting him go,” said Ndubane.

The man alerted security officers on site. As they responded, the suspects opened fire, wounding one of the guards in the leg.

The officers returned fire, injuring one of the suspects, but both men fled the scene in a silver Honda Ballade heading towards the R538.

When Hazyview police and security teams pursued the suspects, their vehicle lost control and veered into a ditch near Numbi Park.

One suspect managed to flee, but the injured man was cornered and arrested. He was taken to hospital in critical condition.

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Inside the vehicle, police found an unlicensed firearm, nine live rounds of ammunition and a magazine.

Ndubane said the suspect is facing charges of attempted murder, robbery and possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the car had been hijacked in Hillbrow in July, and the firearm was reported stolen in Akasia, Pretoria, in May 2024.

The investigation continues. Police have not confirmed whether the stolen cash has been recovered.