On the night of Saturday 26 September 2026, at approximately 21:30, eight unidentified men armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire on patrons at Dora’s Tavern in Extension 3, Wedela, near Carletonville on Gauteng’s West Rand, about 80 kilometres from Johannesburg.
The attackers first shot people gathered outside the tavern. They then entered the building and continued firing at those inside. According to police accounts, the gunmen searched some patrons and took cellphones before setting two vehicles alight and fleeing the scene in two unidentified vehicles.
Seventeen people—thirteen men and four women—were declared dead at the scene. Fifteen others were injured. One of the wounded later died in hospital, raising the death toll to 18. Five of the injured were reported to be in critical condition after being shot in the upper body; the remainder were in a stable condition. Victims included South African and Lesotho nationals, with at least one Ethiopian among the wounded. Only a limited number of the deceased had been formally identified in the days immediately after the attack.
Police opened dockets for multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, malicious damage to property and armed robbery. A multidisciplinary investigation involving specialised units is under way. Authorities stated they possess images of the suspects, including material from CCTV at the tavern, and launched a manhunt. No arrests of the eight primary suspects had been publicly confirmed in the immediate aftermath.
Gauteng police indicated two main lines of inquiry: robbery, based on the theft of cellphones and other belongings, and a possible turf conflict linked to illegal mining activity in the area. The provincial police commissioner noted that a shooting had occurred at the same tavern roughly a month earlier and that the latest attack could represent retaliation.
Illegal miners, known locally as zama zamas, operate in and around Wedela, where abandoned mine shafts form part of an illicit gold extraction network. Some zama zamas based in the area stated that a rival group from a nearby informal settlement near Carletonville was responsible. They said the two groups had clashed previously, that two of their own members had been killed the previous month, and that the Saturday attack reduced their numbers. They claimed the gunmen had been tipped off that some of their leaders were inside the tavern and expressed concern that further violence could follow. These claims have not been independently verified by police.
A resident whose home stands adjacent to the tavern reported that armed men forced their way into the house during the attack. He hid under a bed while the gunmen entered the property three times to reload their rifles between periods of shooting at the tavern. A person working at the tavern described the assault as lasting more than 40 minutes.
The South African National Defence Force and specialised South African Police Service units were deployed to the area under operations aimed at intensifying security in Wedela and surrounding communities. Bullet casings consistent with AK-47 fire were recovered at the scene. Residents in the township reported living in heightened fear in the days that followed, citing the presence of armed illegal mining groups and a history of gun violence linked to competition over mining territory.
Police continue to urge anyone with information to come forward through official channels. The investigation remains active, with the motive still under determination and the eight suspects at large.
Man admits beating two-year-old to death; toddler had 20 injuries
Carel Pieter Daniel Fouché, 35, admitted in the Stilfontein regional court in North West that he repeatedly struck a two-year-old boy, causing the child’s death from blunt force trauma to the head.
The victim was Kelvin Bart Nieuwenhuizen. The incident took place on the night of 14–15 May 2025 at a house in Clubview Street, Stilfontein. Several families lived in the house. Court records and Fouché’s own plea description described the property as a place of regular drug use, including crystal meth and “goof.”
Fouché was in a relationship with the child’s grandmother, Marietjie Niewenhuizen. The toddler was staying in the grandmother’s room because of the mother’s drug addiction. On the evening of 14 May 2025, Fouché and the grandmother used drugs. She fell asleep soon afterwards. During the night the child began crying. Fouché, still under the influence, became irritated because the crying continued and the grandmother did not wake. He then repeatedly hit the two-year-old with open hands and fists.
The grandmother later woke and took the child from Fouché. The full extent of the injuries only became clear the next morning. Fouché said he woke to find the child lying on the floor, wrapped in a blanket and not breathing.
A post-mortem examination by Dr Ruweida Moorad established that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Court-related reporting confirmed the child had sustained 20 injuries.
Fouché and the grandmother were arrested shortly after the body was found. The grandmother was initially also charged with murder. That charge was later withdrawn and she was released in November following the 2025 arrest. Fouché remained in custody.
On 7 July 2026 Fouché pleaded guilty to murder in the Stilfontein regional court. In a written plea explanation signed that day he stated that he knew the assault on the small child could cause death, that he acted intentionally and unlawfully in taking the child’s life, and that drug use did not amount to a defence. He expressed remorse and said he was deeply sorry for his conduct.
The case was postponed for pre-sentence reports. An appearance on 20 August 2026 was further postponed to 29 September 2026 for sentencing after the regional magistrate was on sick leave and the necessary reports were not yet ready. Fouché remained in custody pending the sentencing decision.
Community members in Stilfontein followed the case from the time of the child’s death. The house was known locally as a drug den. The child’s body was discovered under a blanket in a bedroom. Funeral arrangements and community support took place in the weeks after the death in May 2025.
These details are drawn from the court record, Fouché’s plea explanation, the post-mortem finding, and contemporaneous local reporting of the arrests, charges, guilty plea and postponements.
Two Abandoned Hand Grenades Recovered in Wilro Park, Roodepoort
Police in Roodepoort recovered two abandoned hand grenades from an open field in the Wilro Park area on 24 September 2026.
The explosives were discovered at approximately 20:00 by a passer-by, who immediately alerted the South African Police Service (SAPS). Members of the SAPS Explosives Unit responded to the scene and safely removed both devices.
No arrests have been made. Police investigations continue to determine the circumstances under which the grenades were left in the field.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact the nearest police station, the Crime Stop number 08600 10111, or submit an anonymous tip via the MySAPS App.
Members of the public are reminded that if they encounter any suspected explosive device, they should not touch, move or approach it. They should move away from the area and contact SAPS immediately.
This account is based solely on the official SAPS statement issued on 30 September 2026. No further verified details regarding the origin of the grenades, any linked suspects, or additional recoveries have been released at this stage.
- Eighteen killed in Wedela tavern massacre near Carletonville as police hunt eight gunmen
- Victor Matome Rampedi appears in Thembisa court for murder of Ntombifuthi Nxumalo as case postponed for bail application
- Man admits beating two-year-old to death; toddler had 20 injuries
- Two Abandoned Hand Grenades Recovered in Wilro Park, Roodepoort
- Missing Oudtshoorn Ostrich Farmer Saag Jonker Found Deceased in Vehicle in Olifants River
