The South African Police Service National Investigation Unit (NINU) has arrested two men in connection with an attack on a taxi in Johannesburg earlier this year in which a passenger was wounded.

Shaghani Bashir was travelling in a taxi to Houghton on the morning of February 23 when the taxi was cornered by four men in a sedan on Athol Oakland Road.

The men‚ who were armed with handguns and a hammer‚ demanded that the driver open the door. When the driver refused‚ one of the assailants broke the window with the hammer.

“They allegedly assaulted the driver and forcefully removed him from the car. The suspects then robbed and shot Mr Bashir before fleeing from the scene. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was treated and discharged‚” said police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo.

He said the National Investigation Unit was tasked with the investigation as speculation‚ particularly in the media‚ was rife that the shooting of Bashir was a "hit".

“However‚ it has emerged that the motive had been robbery after the team arrested two suspects aged 32 and 35 years on Friday in Ivory Park in Thembisa‚” Naidoo said on Sunday.

He said both men were in police custody and were expected to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s court on Monday‚ on charges of “at least attempted murder and armed robbery”.

“Detectives will be opposing bail because the suspects are considered to be a flight risk‚” Naidoo added.