A 12-year-old Grade 6 learner, Bandile Makhubo, has been missing since Saturday, 27 June 2026, after he was reportedly abducted from his grandmother’s residence in Palm Springs, Evaton, in Gauteng’s Sedibeng District.
According to information released by police and circulated in public appeals shortly after the incident, four men travelling in a white Toyota Quantum took the boy from the property. Evaton police opened an urgent investigation and search operation. Authorities appealed for information from the public, providing the contact number for SAPS Evaton as 016 596 1203. Some later public notices also listed 016 590 9300.
Missing Children South Africa listed Bandile Makhubo as a missing child, noting he was last seen on 27 June 2026 and directing anyone with information to contact the organisation or Evaton SAPS.
Palm Springs forms part of the broader Evaton area, a township north of Sebokeng in the Emfuleni Local Municipality.
As of late July 2026, more than a month after the reported abduction, Bandile has not been located. Family appeals circulating publicly state that the alleged kidnappers have demanded a ransom of R12 million for his safe return. The family has requested public assistance in locating the boy and has also asked for donations to help meet the reported ransom demand.
No confirmed arrests or further public details on the progress of the police investigation have been widely reported in connection with the case. The boy remains listed as missing.
Anyone with information that could assist in locating Bandile Makhubo is urged to contact Evaton police on the numbers provided or Missing Children South Africa.
Two suspected illegal miners killed in police shootout in Roodepoort; three unlicensed firearms recovered
Two suspected illegal miners were shot and killed during a shootout with police in Roodepoort, Gauteng, on Tuesday, 28 July 2026.
According to police, the exchange of gunfire occurred in the area, with reports placing the scene near Randfontein Road and Main Reef Road. Officers recovered three unlicensed firearms and ammunition from the scene following the incident.
Gauteng police spokesperson Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed that the two suspected informal miners were fatally wounded in the confrontation with police. The area remains an active crime scene while investigators process evidence and continue preliminary inquiries.
Police have not released further details at this stage, including the exact circumstances leading to the shootout, the identities of the deceased, or additional information about any other individuals involved. Authorities have indicated that more information will be provided once preliminary investigations are completed.
Members of the public have been urged to avoid the immediate vicinity while police operations and scene processing continue.
The incident forms part of ongoing police responses to illegal mining activities, also known locally as zama-zama operations, in the greater Johannesburg and West Rand regions, where abandoned or disused mine sites have repeatedly been associated with such activities and related confrontations.
Burglary Suspect Arrested in Herold, Firearm and Cash Recovered
A 37-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a residential burglary in the Herold area outside George in the Western Cape, during which a firearm was stolen. The suspect is expected to appear in the George Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 27 July 2026.
The burglary was reported at a premises situated at De Vlugt in Herold earlier in the week. On Friday, 24 July 2026, members of the George South African Police Service (SAPS), the Outeniqua K9 Unit, and Noll’s Halt Farm Watch responded to the incident. Their investigation led them to a bush near the crime scene, where they located a concealed safe. Inside the safe, officers recovered a stolen firearm and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Police positively linked the 37-year-old suspect to the burglary. He remains in custody and faces charges of housebreaking and theft, as well as unlawful possession of a firearm.
Garden Route District police management has acknowledged the efforts of all parties involved in the investigation and recovery of the stolen items. The case highlights the results of coordinated action between police units and local community structures such as farm watches.
No further details regarding the identity of the suspect, the specific value of the recovered cash, or additional circumstances of the burglary have been released by authorities at this stage. The matter will proceed before the George Magistrate’s Court on 27 July 2026.
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