Mall fights spark concerns

Police are urging victims of the recent surge in mall violence—dubbed “Fight Night”—to come forward with information, as concerns grow over a string of youth-related incidents at popular shopping centres.

- KAILIN DANIELS

Anroux Marais, provincial minister for police oversight and community safety, joined local ward councillors and crime prevention activists in calling on parents to play a more active role in their children’s lives, especially during the school holidays.

This comes after a fight between two teenage girls erupted at Canal Walk recently, prompting mall security to call in police to restore order.

The incident drew a large crowd of young onlookers, many of whom cheered the fight on while others attempted to break it up. Footage of the altercation quickly spread across social media platforms.

Prior to the incident, a poster promoting a so-called “Meet and Greet” at Canal Walk was widely shared online.

A second poster, appearing to incite violence, featured photographs of the two girls involved and branded the confrontation as a “Battle of the Facebook Pictures”, under the provocative title “Fight Night”.