Browsing: Gauteng News

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.

Gauteng residents looking for jobs, training, skills development and business support will be able to access opportunities through the new Vul’Amathuba Campaign, which will officially launch at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 29 September 2026. Gauteng Economic Development, Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa will launch the province-wide initiative to connect job seekers, unemployed graduates, artisans, creatives, and aspiring entrepreneurs with opportunities to participate in the provincial economy.

The South African Police Service has established a dedicated multidisciplinary task team after the bodies of four women were found in and around Kempton Park, Gauteng, over approximately two months. The latest body was discovered on Saturday evening, prompting police to warn women, particularly those in the Rhodesfield area, to exercise caution while detectives investigate similarities between the deaths.

The Lilian Ngoyi Street rehabilitation in central Johannesburg is moving into its final stages, with the City of Johannesburg targeting 31 October 2026 for completion of the remaining work. Mayor Dada Morero and Johannesburg Roads Agency officials inspected the site this week, where major road construction has progressed and work is continuing on sidewalks, paving and other finishing elements. The R192 million project includes extensive underground tunnel reconstruction as well as new water and electricity infrastructure following the July 2023 gas explosion that severely damaged the street.

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.

South African motorists are paying new fuel prices from Wednesday, 5 August 2026, after the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources confirmed a 52 cent per litre decrease for both grades of petrol and sharp increases for diesel. Gauteng drivers now pay R25.42 per litre for inland 93 petrol and R26.17 for inland 95 petrol, while diesel wholesale prices have risen by more than R1 per litre. The adjustment matters for households and businesses because diesel costs feed directly into transport, logistics and operating expenses across the province.

City Power has announced planned electricity outages that will affect parts of Johannesburg this week and next as maintenance teams work to improve the reliability of the city’s electricity network. Residents and businesses in sections of Midrand and Roodepoort will experience temporary power interruptions on 12 August and 18 August 2026 while essential work is carried out on switching stations. The utility says the scheduled maintenance is necessary to service ageing infrastructure, reduce the risk of unplanned outages and strengthen the network during the high electricity demand experienced in winter.

City Power is working to restore electricity to thousands of Johannesburg residents after more than 2 400 outage calls were recorded during one of Gauteng’s coldest weather events in recent years. The utility said freezing temperatures, wet weather and increased electricity demand have placed severe pressure on the network, resulting in widespread outages across the city. Residents and businesses have been urged to reduce electricity usage during peak periods while technical teams continue restoration efforts under difficult weather conditions.