Cape Town - Canal Walk will eject anyone carrying a gun – even legal firearm owners – as it hikes up security measures after a series of armed heists at the mall.
Police said 20 suspects had been arrested and others identified from camera footage of over 15 mall robberies in the Cape this year – four of which targeted Canal Walk.
The centre’s security is conducting stop-and-searches that have legal firearm owners up in arms and calling for a boycott of the mall.
In an incident on Sunday, five men were searched in their car and denied entry after security received a tip-off from a shopper that they were armed.
Canal Walk centre manager Vanessa Herbst confirmed the incident.
Herbst said that after the tip-off police and security were called to the parking area, near the Pick n Pay entrance, where the car was parked. She said upon being searched it was found that both the firearm and vehicle were licensed, but their owners were turned away due to the mall’s no-firearms policy.
In Canal Walk’s published “House Rules”, firearms are not on the list of items prohibited from the internal areas of the mall, but are listed under “forbidden in the common areas and external areas of the mall”.
Chief executive Gavin Wood said the no-firearms rule had always been the case, even if it wasn’t strictly enforced.
“Similar to most shopping centres in the Western Cape we have always had a no-firearm policy with appropriate signage at our entrances,” Wood said.
“While this policy has not been strictly enforced, in light of the current crime we believe it is in the best interest of our shoppers.”
While the mall has not been declared a gun-free zone in terms of the Firearms Control Act, Wood said the centre was exercising its discretion as a private entity.
