Eight people, including two minors, killed in head-on collision on N17 between Ermelo and Davel
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Eight people died in a head-on collision involving two sedans on the N17 toll road between Ermelo and Davel in Mpumalanga early on Sunday morning, 13 September 2026. The crash occurred near the Ermelo Toll Plaza at approximately 1:30am.
The vehicles involved were a Toyota sedan and a Volkswagen sedan. Seven of the deceased were occupants of the Volkswagen sedan. The eighth victim was the sole occupant and driver of the Toyota sedan. The fatalities comprised six adults and two minors. Both drivers were among those killed. No other injuries were reported.
The Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison is investigating the circumstances of the collision. The cause has not yet been determined. Officials have stated that reckless and negligent driving cannot be ruled out at this stage.
Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison Jackie Macie extended condolences to the families of the deceased. Macie urged motorists to obey the rules of the road, adjust driving according to prevailing weather and road conditions, and exercise greater vigilance, particularly when visibility is reduced.
Emergency personnel remained at the scene following the incident. Further details, including the identities of the victims, have not been released. The investigation continues.
E-hailing drivers in Cape Town continue to face armed robberies
E-hailing drivers operating in Cape Town, particularly in areas of the Cape Flats including Mitchells Plain and surrounding suburbs, remain frequent targets of armed robbery. Multiple incidents reported in 2025 and 2026 show a consistent pattern: drivers respond to trip requests, pick up passengers who then produce firearms or knives, and are robbed of cellphones, cash, and other belongings.
One well-documented case occurred on the evening of 25 April 2026 in Pers Road, Parkwood. An e-hailing driver accepted a pick-up request. Two men entered the vehicle. Shortly into the trip, the passenger in the back seat produced a firearm and held it against the driver’s neck while the front passenger took the driver’s cellphone and cash. Dashcam footage of the robbery circulated widely on social media. Grassy Park police opened a case of robbery with a firearm. Two suspects, aged 20 and 28, were later arrested and appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court.
In another incident on 28 July 2026 in Klip Road, Lotus River, a Bolt driver stopped to collect a passenger. The passenger and at least one accomplice threatened the driver with a firearm and robbed him of his cellphone and a black hoodie. Grassy Park police confirmed they were investigating a case of robbery with a firearm. Police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala stated that the 25-year-old driver had responded to a ride request and was robbed by unknown male suspects on arrival.
Similar robberies have been recorded in other Cape Town areas. On Christmas Eve 2024, an e-hailing driver was robbed in the Rylands area of Athlone by a group of youngsters. Dashcam footage showed the suspects demanding cash and valuables, with one threatening the driver with a knife. Some of the suspects were later arrested in Mitchells Plain. Police and city officials confirmed the arrests and linked some of the individuals to a local gang.
These cases reflect a broader pattern. Drivers are often targeted precisely because they respond to app-based trip requests and arrive at locations without knowing who is waiting. In many incidents the suspects board the vehicle as ordinary passengers before producing weapons. Cellphones are among the most commonly stolen items. In some cases vehicles are also taken.
Police routinely open cases of robbery with a firearm or related charges when these incidents are reported. Arrests have occurred in several cases, particularly when dashcam or cellphone footage is shared publicly and leads to identification of suspects. However, many investigations remain open, and drivers and industry representatives continue to raise concerns about the frequency of attacks.
E-hailing drivers and representatives have publicly described certain areas as high-risk and have advised colleagues to decline trips to locations they consider unsafe. Industry figures have called for stronger coordination between platforms and law enforcement, noting that existing safety measures are often reactive. New national regulations under the National Land Transport Amendment Act have introduced requirements aimed at improving safety for both drivers and passengers, including provisions related to panic buttons, though the impact of these measures is still developing.
E-hailing driver manages to fight firearm off thug who attempted to hijack his vehicle pic.twitter.com/RShafL69aw
— PrimeTime News (@PrimeTimeNewsZA) September 12, 2026
The incidents underscore the ongoing risks faced by people working in the e-hailing sector in Cape Town. While some arrests have been made and cases are under investigation, armed robberies of drivers continue to be reported across multiple suburbs.
Three Killed in Head-On Collision Involving Minibus Taxi and Bakkie on N1 Near Leeu-Gamka
Three people died and six others were injured in a head-on collision on the N1 national road outside Leeu-Gamka in the Western Cape Karoo on Friday morning, 11 September 2026.
The crash occurred at approximately 09:30 on the section of the N1 outside Leeu-Gamka in the direction of Beaufort West. Two vehicles were involved: a minibus taxi travelling towards Beaufort West and a Nissan NP200 bakkie travelling in the opposite direction.
According to police, the bakkie burst into flames following the impact. Emergency services recovered the bodies of two occupants from the burned-out wreckage of the bakkie. A woman who had been travelling in the minibus taxi was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.
Six other occupants of the taxi sustained injuries and were transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment.
Southern Cape police spokesperson Christopher Spies confirmed that police are investigating a case of culpable homicide. “Six other victims were transported to a nearby medical facility for treatment. The cause of the accident is yet to be established, and it forms part of the ongoing police investigation. The identities of the deceased are yet to be confirmed,” Spies said.
Leeu-Gamka police are handling the investigation. The exact circumstances that led to the collision remain under inquiry, with no further details released on the sequence of events or contributing factors at this stage.
Emergency services, including police, paramedics and other response units, attended the scene. The identities of the three deceased persons have not been released pending formal identification and notification of next of kin.
The incident took place on a stretch of the N1 that runs through the Karoo region between Leeu-Gamka and Beaufort West. Officials have not indicated any prolonged road closures beyond the initial response and clearance operations.
Police continue to investigate the cause of the collision. No arrests have been reported.
Three suspects, including Grade 11 learner, arrested after tuckshop owner’s body found near Fouriesburg
Three men aged 18, 23 and 26 have been arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping and murder of a foreign national who operated a tuckshop in Mashaeng township near Fouriesburg in the Free State. The youngest suspect is a Grade 11 learner. All three are from Mashaeng.
Police from the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Operational Crime Combatting Unit made the arrests within approximately 12 hours of the discovery of the victim’s body. The 18-year-old was arrested at his school in Mashaeng. That arrest led investigators to the two older suspects, also from the same township. During the arrests, officers recovered 27 rounds of live ammunition from one of the men.
The suspects face charges of kidnapping, murder and theft of a motor vehicle. One faces an additional charge of unlawful possession of ammunition. They were expected to appear in the Fouriesburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 11 September 2026.
The body was discovered at about 09:00 on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, by a community member near Uitkyk Farm, roughly five kilometres outside Fouriesburg along the R26 road towards Ficksburg. Officers found the deceased covered with a large white recycling bag and hidden among trees in a fenced camp beside the road. The man was wearing blood-stained clothing. His sibling, who lives in Fouriesburg, later identified the body.
According to police, the victim lived alone in a rented property and ran a tuckshop in Mashaeng. His brother last saw him on Sunday, 6 September 2026, after the two attended a church service in Bethlehem. On Tuesday, 8 September, the brother became concerned when he found the man was not at home and that his white Toyota Hilux bakkie, which carried Free State registration plates, was missing. He reported the disappearance to the local police station.
Further investigation established that the stolen bakkie had allegedly been sold in Gauteng.
Free State Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thabang Lesia praised the investigators for their swift and excellent work. He urged officers to continue enforcing the law and ensuring that those responsible for crimes are brought to justice. The investigation into the circumstances of the alleged kidnapping, murder and vehicle theft remains ongoing.
The case is being handled by Free State police. No further details on the exact cause of death or motive have been released publicly at this stage.
Taxi crashes near African Bank in Stanger (KwaDukuza), KwaZulu-Natal
A minibus taxi was involved in a crash near an African Bank branch in Stanger (also known as KwaDukuza), KwaZulu-Natal, on the morning of 11 September 2026. Taurus Medical and Security Services responded to the scene.
Reports and images from the scene show a white Toyota Quantum minibus taxi that came to rest in a tilted/overturned position against a railing adjacent to a set of stairs in a commercial area with shops and businesses. Debris is visible around the vehicle. Members of the public gathered at the location.
Arrive Alive reported the incident under the heading “Taxi crash by African Bank,” noting that Taurus Medical and Security Services were on scene. Separate traffic and media accounts confirmed the location as by African Bank in Stanger and the presence of Taurus EMS.
At the time of the initial reports (early morning of 11 September 2026), no official confirmation of the number of occupants, injuries, fatalities, exact cause, or sequence of events had been widely released. Emergency services were attending the scene. Further details from authorities, including the South African Police Service or provincial traffic officials, were not immediately available in public updates.
Stanger/KwaDukuza is a town on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. The crash occurred in a built-up commercial zone featuring shops and medical practices. The vehicle involved is a standard minibus taxi of the type commonly used for public transport in South Africa.
As with all such incidents, investigations into the circumstances typically follow standard procedures involving emergency medical response, scene clearance, and subsequent inquiries by relevant authorities. Motorists and the public in the area were advised through traffic channels of the active scene.
This account is based solely on contemporaneous reports from Arrive Alive, on-scene responder mentions, and visual documentation shared in connection with the incident. Additional official updates on casualties, vehicle condition, or contributing factors may be released as the response and investigation progress.
