South African police shot dead one suspect and arrested five others following a shootout in Westdene, Sophiatown, on Monday, March 24, 2025.
Of the five arrested, two are in the hospital under police guard after sustaining injuries during the shootout.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed the incident, saying the suspects, believed to be involved in several robberies at churches and places of worship, exchanged gunfire with law enforcement officers. The statement reads:
<blockquote>
The suspects are believed to be involved in a number of incidents where churches and places of worship were robbed.
 They were found in possession of unlicensed firearms and music instruments that they allegedly stole from a church in Florida.
Police crime intelligence received information about the suspects who were committing armed robberies and break-ins at places of worship around Gauteng. The information was that a group was to rob a church in Florida.
Various law enforcement agencies that include South African Police Service Counter Intelligence Head Office, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Tracking Team, Gauteng Tactical Response Team, Gauteng Anti-Gang Unit, Gauteng Traffic Police Air Wing, CAP Specialised Operations, Tracker Connect and Bad Boyz Security was activated to intercept the suspects.
As they were on a lookout, the team spotted a Toyota Quantum that was said to be used by the suspects driving in Sophiatown. 
The suspects sped off as they were stopped by the police. A chase ensued. During the chase, the suspects started shooting at the law enforcement officers and a shootout ensued. The suspects’ car crashed into a fence.
Five suspects were arrested and one was fatally wounded. Two suspects amongst the five were wounded during the shootout and under police guard in hospital.
</blockquote>
The statement further reveals that police recovered three firearms and ammunition from the suspects, along with a music system valued at over R2 million, which was found in the vehicle.
The music system is believed to have been stolen from a church in Florida. Police also seized the Toyota Quantum used in the commission of the crime.
The suspects will undergo profiling, and the firearms will be sent for ballistic tests to determine if they were used in the commission of other crimes.

Pindula News

In South Africa, the police stopped an armed gang targeting churches. One suspect died, five were arrested, and two were injured in a shootout. The gang stole from churches and places of worship using unlicensed firearms. A group of law enforcement agencies worked together to catch the suspects. They recovered stolen music instruments and guns from the suspects. The suspects will be checked for other crimes, and the firearms will be tested. The shootout ended in a car crash, and the suspects are now in police custody.

SA: One Dead, Five Arrested As Police Pounce On Armed Gang Targeting Churches

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that six suspects involved in a cash-in-transit robbery were shot dead during a shootout with police and other law enforcement agencies in Laudium, Tshwane, on Monday, 24 February 2025, shortly after 5:00 PM.
A seventh suspect, aged 22, was arrested without injuries. Police also recovered five unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
According to SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo, Crime Intelligence received information about the suspects heading to Atteridgeville for a robbery.
A team, including the Gauteng Tactical Response Team, Anti-Gang Unit, Traffic Police Airwing, and others, was deployed to track them.
Masondo said the team spotted two vehicles, a BMW X1 and an Audi A4, following a cash-in-transit van. When the suspects noticed the police, they abandoned their plan and tried to flee.
A chase followed, and when the suspects were stopped in Laudium, they fired shots, sparking a shootout.
Six suspects were killed, one was arrested, and others escaped. The Audi A4 was found to have been hijacked in Cleveland, Johannesburg, in December 2024.
Masondo added that initial investigations suggest the suspects were involved in a recent robbery in Atteridgeville, where four security guards were injured, and possibly other robberies in Gauteng and beyond. 
The suspects face charges including conspiracy to commit robbery, possession of unlicensed firearms, and attempted murder.

The police in South Africa stopped a robbery by shooting and killing six suspects. A seventh suspect was arrested. The police found guns and bullets with the suspects. The police were told about the robbery and went to catch the suspects. The suspects were following a van with money but ran away when they saw the police. The police caught them in Laudium and a fight started. The suspects were believed to be involved in other robberies too. They will be charged with crimes like trying to rob, having illegal guns, and trying to hurt others.

South African Police Arrest One And Kill Six In Cash-in-Transit Robbery Attempt

The South African Police Service (SAPS) seized nine inflatable boats that were being used by smugglers on Wednesday afternoon at Chirumbu east of Musina in Vhembe District.
The boats were allegedly being used by gangs to assist undocumented migrants in crossing into the country.
In a statement, SAPS said the smuggling ring was busted under the ongoing Operation Vala Umgodi. Reads the statement:
<blockquote>
The joint Law Enforcement Agencies through Operation Vala Umgodi on Wednesday afternoon, 21 February 2024, seized nine inflatable boats at Chirumbu east of Musina in Vhembe District.
Members of the SAPS K9 Unit, Border Policing Teams and the SANDF followed information about the smuggling of illegal immigrants and counterfeit goods at the sandbank of the Limpopo River.
The suspects evaded arrest by fleeing on foot upon realizing that they were being cornered, abandoning inflatable boats.
Subsequently, Police seized the boats, which are expected to be disposed of.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

South African Police Seize Nine Boats Used To Facilitate Border Jumping

Police in South Africa on Friday killed 18 suspected robbers during a shootout in Limpopo Province.
According to National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, the suspects were planning a cash-in-transit (CIT) heist.
Speaking on Friday from the crime scene in Makhado, Masemola said the suspects were responsible for similar crimes in other provinces. He said:
<blockquote>
We do believe this syndicate has been involved in a number of CITs in this province, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
</blockquote>
Masemola said one police officer was “injured very seriously” in the shootout, which lasted about 90 minutes.
In a statement, the South African Police Service (SAPS), said an investigation began in January with the help of the country’s intelligence unit, and the police had been tracking the suspects’ movements for a few days. Part of the statement reads:
<blockquote>
As soon as police approached the address, the group of suspects began shooting, and police retaliated. Sixteen males and two females were declared dead at the scene.
</blockquote>
Masemola said that police intended “to arrest them before they go out and commit the crime”.
Cash truck heists happen regularly in South Africa, and in 2022, 10 suspects died during a cash-in-transit shootout with police.
The would-be robbers had fired at a police helicopter and wounded one of the pilots.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

South African Police Kill 18 Suspected Robbers In Shootout

Police in South Africa on Saturday, 11 February recovered a Silver Toyota Avanza that was stolen in Harare.
The vehicle was recovered by the Maitland Flying Squad after receiving a tip-off.
Three suspects aged 18, 31, and 38 were arrested and were expected to appear in court. SA police said in a statement:
<blockquote>
… on Saturday, 11 February 2023 at approximately 07:40, members attached to Maitland Flying Squad received information while on patrol about a hijacked vehicle (Silver Toyota Avanza).
They immediately operationalized all the leads and spotted the vehicle parked inside premises in 43 Block Makhaza.
Further investigation revealed that the vehicle was hijacked in Harare earlier this month.
The members further requested to conduct a search in the house and recovered a firearm with the serial number removed and it was loaded with one round of ammunition.
Three suspects aged 18, 31, and 38 were arrested for possession of a hijacked vehicle and possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition.
Once charged they are expected to appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on the mentioned charges.
</blockquote>

South African Police Recover Vehicle Stolen In Harare

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has warned members of the public against the unauthorised and illegal use of SAPS property.
This was after a video clip of a man who appears to be a Zimbabwean sitting behind the wheel of a marked police vehicle wearing a SAPS cap went viral on social media.
The man, who was sitting inside the SAPS car, and his colleague, who was apparently filming the incident, were speaking in Shona.
Commenting on the video, SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe warned that it was an offence for members of the public to wear police uniforms or distinctive marks of the SAPS without permission from the national commissioner. Said Mathe:
<blockquote>
A civilian can be seen in a marked police vehicle wearing a SAPS cap. This unauthorised use of SAPS property and uniform is in direct contravention of the SAPS Act.
The civilian has committed at least three offences in terms of the SAPS Act; Section 66 (1), 68(1) and 68(3), in that he wore the emblems and official insignia of the SAPS.
The man has thus created the false impression that he is lawfully associated with the police service by being in a marked police vehicle and wearing the badge and emblem of the SAPS, which is protected by law.
</blockquote>
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<video controls="controls" height="580" preload="metadata" width="320"><a href="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Zimbabwean-Man-sitting-behind-the-wheel-of-a-SAPS-car.mp4">https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Zimbabwean-Man-sitting-behind-the-wheel-of-a-SAPS-car.mp4</a></video></div>
Police are investigating the matter. | <a href="https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/unauthorised-use-of-saps-property-a-criminal-offence-cops-warn-after-viral-video-20230105">News24</a>

Zimbabwean Man Sitting Behind Wheel Of Marked SAPS Car Invites Sharp Warning From SA Police

Five male bogus Zimbabwean taxi association patrollers were arrested in Randburg, South Africa, for extortion and kidnapping this week.
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson Xolani Fihla confirmed that their Undercover Reaction Unit had arrested the suspects. Said Fihla:
<blockquote>
On Wednesday, 26 October 2022, officers received information of suspects pretending to be taxi association patrollers affiliated with PRS taxi association in Pretoria, who were extorting money from unsuspecting motorists giving lifts to hitchhikers in the Randburg area.
Further information was received that the suspects were driving around in a silver-grey Volvo S40.
</blockquote>
He said on 24 October, a case docket was opened at Randburg SAPS as the Zimbabwean men had extorted money from a truck owner at the Randburg Driving License Testing Centre. Explained Fihla:
<blockquote>
Whilst on patrol along Malibongwe Drive and the N1 searching for the suspects, officers identified the vehicle matching the description used in the commission of the crime. They tactically approached and stopped the vehicle.
While searching they discovered that one of the occupants was a victim of extortion who the suspects had forced to withdraw R4000.
</blockquote>
Fihla said police officers arrested more suspects linked to the syndicate that had been terrorising the community of Randburg. He said:
<blockquote>
They were driving a white Isuzu bakkie. The PRS Taxi Association office was notified of the suspects extorting people using their association name and they confirmed that they had received numerous complaints about such conduct.
All five suspects, Zimbabwean nationals were detained at Randburg SAPS, and both vehicles used by the suspects were seized and booked in at the SAPS Aeroton pound
</blockquote>
| <a href="https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/zimbabwean-bogus-taxi-association-patrollers-arrested-28-october-2022/">The South African</a>

SA: Five Bogus Zimbabwean Taxi Association Inspectors Arrested

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Five inmates have escaped from custody after a group of heavily armed men freed them from a police truck transporting them to court, the police said on Friday.
SAPS spokesperson in Gauteng, Brigadier Brenda Muridili told TV channel Newzroom Afrika that the SAPS officers transporting the inmates to the Vosloorus Magistrate’s Court were overpowered on the way.
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<figure><img class="baobab-embedded-image" decoding="async" src="https://image-prod.iol.co.za/resize/610x61000/?source=https://xlibris.public.prod.oc.inl.infomaker.io:8443/opencontent/objects/fd279553-9648-505b-aba5-3e5fdb4b4e51&amp;operation=CROP&amp;offset=0x99&amp;resize=501x282" width="610"/><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
Muridili urged members of the public to be very careful as those suspects are armed and very dangerous. He said:
<blockquote>
The accused are all Zimbabwean nationals and their names are Nkhululeko Nkomo; Robert Hlatshwayo; Thulani Dube; Augustine Moyo; Mbongiseni Mkandla. We are currently having a team that has been launched so that they can do a manhunt and find the escapees.
The police were outnumbers. It was two vehicles that were involved in this incident. One blocked the police vehicle from the front and a number of armed suspects, with rifles, then indicated to the police officers that they must stop the vehicle.
</blockquote>
Police later clarified to IOL that only four were Zimbabweans and the other, Robert Hlatswayo was a South African. She said people from another vehicle that was behind the government truck broke the lock and the inmates fled.
The escapees were going to court on charges including possession of unlicensed firearms, business robbery, attempted murder and shoplifting. They are aged between 30 and 45.
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<figure><img class="baobab-embedded-image aligncenter" decoding="async" src="https://image-prod.iol.co.za/resize/610x61000/?source=https://xlibris.public.prod.oc.inl.infomaker.io:8443/opencontent/objects/f41fc6b3-c481-505c-a604-37c807e40b0f&amp;operation=CROP&amp;offset=0x0&amp;resize=492x651" width="610"/></figure>
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The SAPS has appealed to community members to help them with information to locate the wanted suspects.
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Last year, four “dangerous” prisoners escaped from custody in Limpopo after disarming a police officer.
<figure><img class="baobab-embedded-image" decoding="async" src="https://image-prod.iol.co.za/resize/610x61000/?source=https://xlibris.public.prod.oc.inl.infomaker.io:8443/opencontent/objects/63e48eee-f378-5a94-b5cc-3644c28ea649&amp;operation=CROP&amp;offset=0x180&amp;resize=502x282" width="610"/></figure>
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<figure><img class="baobab-embedded-image" decoding="async" src="https://image-prod.iol.co.za/resize/610x61000/?source=https://xlibris.public.prod.oc.inl.infomaker.io:8443/opencontent/objects/9371904b-1737-5f21-8ee0-52d80865b9a7&amp;operation=CROP&amp;offset=0x83&amp;resize=508x286" width="610"/></figure>
More: <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/gauteng/zimbabwean-inmates-freed-movie-style-from-saps-truck-taking-them-to-court-5d105a40-ca1e-41dc-a3ea-a8b2fbccfb5d">IOL</a>
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South Africa: Zimbabwean Inmates Plus A SAn Escape Movie Style

Two Zimbabweans who escaped from police custody on Wednesday evening while being transported from Polokwane Central Correctional facility to Mokopane in Limpopo province have been rearrested.
The duo was part of the <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2021/07/22/three-zimbabwean-robbers-escape-from-sa-prison/">four armed robbers – three Zimbabweans and one South African</a> – who last Wednesday managed to disarm a police officer and escape.
They were arrested Saturday while the third is still on the run.
The three Zimbabwean nationals are; Clifford Matonhori (31) John Fine (39) Dennis Hove (39) who are Zimbabwean nationals and Figos Madisha, (40).
However, Hove is still on the run.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the four hijacked two trucks while on the run. Mojapelo said:
<blockquote>Four suspects fitting the description of the ones who escaped from the police van along the R101 road south of Polokwane allegedly hijacked a truck and later abandoned it at Ysyerberg on the N1 road.
The same suspects allegedly hijacked another truck the next day at Nyl Plaza toll gate and drove it towards Modimolle with the victims inside. The truck hit one of the barricades at Kranskop toll gate and the suspects jumped off and fled into the bushes.</blockquote>
A search operation involving Limpopo highway patrol, the SAPS Airwing, trackers, and community members led to the re-arrest of the men.
Mojapelo said one of the prisoners had shot at the police when he was spotted in the bushes. He added:
<blockquote>Police returned fire and when they searched the area, they found the suspect in a tree and injured. He was immediately arrested. The other two suspects were arrested in the vicinity. A police firearm robbed during the escape was recovered in the bushes.</blockquote>
The four had been arrested and convicted of armed robberies in April 2019 along the N1 road in Belabela, Modimolle, Mookgopong, and Mokopane.
They were scheduled to be sentenced last Friday.
More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw">Pindula News</a>; <a href="https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/three-limpopo-prisoners-rearrested-after-escaping-on-way-to-court-fourth-still-on-the-run-20210725">News24</a>

Update: Zimbabweans Who Escaped From SA Prison Rearrested

Scores of people have been arrested over Kwazulu Natal (KZN) protests that erupted Thursday over the arrest and incarceration of the former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma.
The province’s South African Police Services (SAPS) spokesperson Jay Naicker says law enforcement officers will be deployed to monitor the situation at key points.
<ol>
<li><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/zuma-arrest-businesses-close-due-to-protests-in-kzn/">Zuma Arrest: Businesses Close Due To Protests In KZN</a></li>
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<li><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/update-zumas-bid-to-stay-imprisonment-dismissed209088/">UPDATE: Zuma’s Bid To Stay Imprisonment Dismissed</a></li>
<li><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/watch-niehaus-urges-anc-supporters-to-rally-behind-jacob-zuma/" rel="bookmark" title="WATCH: Niehaus Urges ANC Supporters To Rally Behind Jacob Zuma">WATCH: Niehaus Urges ANC Supporters To Rally Behind Jacob Zuma</a></li>
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</ol>
Protesters who were calling for the immediate release from prison of the former president blocked roads and torched trucks.
Zuma is in jail as part of his 15-month sentence handed down by the Constitutional Court for contempt.
He had refused to appear before the Zondo Commission of enquiry that is investigating him over corruption allegedly committed during his 9-year tenure as president.
Meanwhile, KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala is calling for calm and adherence to the rule of law, urging demonstrators to protest peacefully.
More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw">Pindula News</a>; <a href="https://youtu.be/lhgezndsIcU">eNCA</a>

Zuma Arrest: Scores Arrested Over KZN Protests

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has revealed that 12 people were killed in last week’s xenophobic attacks in Pretoria, Johannesburg and other places.
Though the nationalities of the deceased have not been revealed, SAPS said that the number may be reviewed later as investigations continue.
In a tweet, South Africa’s Eye Witness Report said:
<blockquote>The police have now confirmed that 12 people have died as a result of the recent outbreak of xenophobic violence. This number may be reviewed later as investigations continue.</blockquote>

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