The investigation into the Wedela mass shooting has raised a difficult question for police: what should investigators do when people involved in illegal mining claim they can identify those responsible? Eighteen people were killed and more than 10 others injured in the 26 September 2026 shooting near Carletonville on Gauteng’s West Rand, and zama zamas have since offered to provide information about the suspected attackers. Security and criminology experts say police should assess what the miners know, while stressing that cooperation should not mean immunity from prosecution.
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Illegal mining in Gauteng has triggered an intensified security response across the West Rand, with police and soldiers conducting repeated operations in Fochville, Westonaria, Mohlakeng and surrounding communities during 2026. The latest operation saw 121 suspected illegal miners arrested in Mphahla village near Fochville on Tuesday, 29 September, while five firearms, ammunition, gold bearing material and mining equipment were recovered.
A 23 year old woman was shot dead during an alleged robbery in Tembisa on Monday morning, 28 September 2026, as Gauteng police continued investigating a series of women’s deaths in Ekurhuleni and a mass shooting that killed 17 people in Wedela over the weekend. The woman was reportedly on her way to work when she was attacked on Mapungubwe Street at approximately 5:45am. Police have opened a murder and robbery investigation and are searching for those responsible.
Gauteng residents can use the provincial government’s free Gauteng e Panic Button app to request emergency assistance when they face danger. Launched in 2024, the initiative uses smartphone location information to connect people in distress with an emergency response network. Residents across Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng and the West Rand can also prepare personal safety kits, save emergency contacts and familiarise themselves with available support services before an emergency occurs.
Police have dismantled a suspected Mandrax manufacturing laboratory in Erasmia, Pretoria, where drugs and equipment valued at about R110 million were seized during a wider nationwide crackdown on the illicit drug trade. Two Mozambican nationals were arrested during the Gauteng operation, which involved the Hawks, Crime Intelligence, K9 West Rand and the Special Task Force Pretoria.
The South African Police Service arrested a 45 year old suspected drug mule at OR Tambo International Airport on Monday, 7 September 2026, after allegedly finding two kilograms of suspected cocaine worth more than R800 000 in his luggage. The traveller was allegedly heading to Hong Kong, China, and became the second suspected drug mule arrested at the Gauteng airport in four days.
A Johannesburg businessman who was kidnapped at his business premises in Cleveland has been rescued unharmed following a multidisciplinary South African Police Service (SAPS) operation that resulted in the arrest of four suspects. The businessman was allegedly abducted on Saturday, 15 August 2026, before suspects reportedly accessed his bank account and demanded a ransom for his release. Police arranged a controlled ransom drop that led to the arrests, the recovery of two vehicles and four cellphones believed to have been used in the crime. The suspects are expected to appear before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 19 August 2026.
Police and crime experts are investigating whether illegal mining disputes may have played a role in the mass shooting that left 12 people dead and at least nine others injured at Jumpers Informal Settlement in Cleveland, Johannesburg. The Cleveland shooting took place on the night of 9 June 2026 and is now one of the deadliest shootings recorded in Gauteng this year.
Twelve people have been killed and at least nine others injured following a mass shooting at Jumpers Informal Settlement in Cleveland, Johannesburg. The attack happened late on Tuesday night, 9 June 2026, prompting a major police investigation and manhunt for the suspects involved.
A 26-year-old Brazilian national has been arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg after police intercepted cocaine with an estimated street value of R8.7 million. The arrest took place on Saturday following an intelligence-led operation targeting suspected drug trafficking activity at South Africa’s busiest airport.