The suspect who was arrested during the East Rand Mall “shoot-out” last Friday (April 20) afternoon appeared in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on April 23.
Pafane Sefolo (31), of Gugulethu, tried to hide away in a clothing store after he was shot, allegedly by police who were pursuing him and another man. He was found in a pool of blood in the store and in possession of an unlicensed revolver.
Sefolo is only being charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and the case has been postponed to May 3 for a formal bail application.
On the day of the incident, just before 1pm, West Rand police appear to have been involved in an undercover operation to arrest a murder suspect – which they did, but this suspect was not Sefolo or the other man they chased through the mall.
The operation quickly unravelled into chaos, during which a security guard was also shot dead and a shopper wounded.
CCTV footage from the scene has been supplied to the court.
According to Captain Mavela Masondo, of the Gauteng Provincial SAPS, cases of murder and attempted murder were also opened.
As the events unfolded and local police remained tight-lipped, social media buzzed with scenarios including that an armed robbery was in progress at a jewellery store, that six suspects had been arrested and that others were hiding in the roof of the mall, all of which are untrue.
The mall was eventually evacuated and all stores remained closed for the rest of the day.
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