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Lions Circle Open Tents at Mana Pools Campsite as Man Uses Torch to Push Them Back

PrimeTime News Desk

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A nighttime video from a campsite in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, shows a pride of female lions moving between open tents after dark. One camper walks toward the animals holding a torch and uses the beam to redirect them. Each time he advances with the light, the lions retreat a short distance.

The tents’ zippers were left open. The lions prowled among the shelters and paused to observe the people nearby. The man moved calmly across the camp, repeatedly using the torch to keep the animals away from the tents.

The footage, shared online in August 2026 by Trans Africa Self Drive Adventures and Tours with the on-screen text “Brave or Stupid” and “Lions in Camp,” drew widespread attention. Viewers commented on the open tents, the lions’ calm behaviour, and the decision to approach rather than stay back.

Mana Pools is an unfenced UNESCO World Heritage site where lions and other wildlife regularly pass through campsites day and night. Standard advice for visitors includes keeping tents fully closed after dark and using a strong torch before moving outside.

Dangers and risks (documented facts):

•  National parks in Southern Africa (including Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools, South Africa’s Kruger, and others) are unfenced or partially unfenced in many camping and wilderness areas. Wildlife including lions, elephants, buffalo, hippos, hyenas, and crocodiles regularly move through campsites day and night.

•  Hippos are responsible for a high number of human injuries and deaths in Africa relative to other large mammals; they are territorial, fast on land, and often active near water at night.

•  Nile crocodiles account for a significant portion of fatal attacks in riverine and wetland areas across Africa, including Zimbabwe.

•  Elephants cause numerous human fatalities annually across Africa (estimates range in the hundreds globally when combining African and Asian species data). Mothers with calves and bulls in musth are particularly unpredictable. In Zimbabwe, crocodiles and elephants together have accounted for the majority of recorded human-wildlife conflict fatalities in recent years.

•  Lions and other large carnivores generally avoid humans but can become bold during drought, illness, or when food is scarce. Predatory attacks by large carnivores occur more frequently at night.

•  In Zimbabwe, ZimParks data recorded 18 human deaths from wildlife attacks in the first quarter of 2025 (up from 15 in the same period of 2024). Over a five-year period, approximately 300 human deaths from wildlife conflict were reported, averaging around 60 per year. Most attacks occur at night.

•  Cape buffalo (especially solitary “dagga boys”) can be aggressive when wounded, surprised, or protecting calves.

•  Baboons and monkeys become aggressive when habituated to human food; they can open vehicles or tents and cause injuries.

•  Venomous snakes (including puff adders, cobras, and boomslangs) and scorpions are present; bites or stings occur when people step into vegetation or lift rocks/logs.

•  Most serious incidents involving tourists occur when park rules are broken—particularly exiting vehicles outside designated areas, approaching animals on foot, or leaving food accessible.

Established safety precautions and park rules (from official guidance and park authorities):

•  Remain inside vehicles at all times except in designated safe areas (rest camps, picnic sites, or when explicitly permitted by a guide/ranger). Do not protrude any part of the body from windows or sunroofs.

•  Never approach, feed, or attempt to touch wild animals. Feeding habituates animals and increases aggression risk; it is prohibited and can lead to animals being destroyed.

•  Keep tents fully closed and secured at night. Never leave food, dirty dishes, or rubbish accessible. Store all food and waste securely.

•  Carry and use a strong torch/flashlight when moving outside tents after dark. Shine the beam around the area before stepping out.

•  Supervise children closely at all times; do not allow them to move unattended, especially after dark.

•  Maintain safe distances: at least 30 metres from elephants, lions, and other large animals is commonly advised; never position yourself between a mother and offspring.

•  Give animals right of way. Do not block paths to water, cut off herds/prides, or force animals to move when resting.

•  On walking safaris (permitted in limited areas such as Mana Pools floodplain with a permit), only walk with an armed professional guide or ranger unless highly experienced and permitted. Unguided walking carries higher risk.

•  Stay in camp during prescribed hours (typically from dusk to dawn). Night driving is restricted or prohibited in many parks.

•  Do not swim in rivers, lakes, or pans due to crocodiles, hippos, and waterborne disease risk.

•  Follow all instructions from guides, rangers, and park staff immediately. Report unusual animal behaviour or rule-breaking by other visitors.

•  Use high-clearance 4×4 vehicles on park roads; observe speed limits (often 40 km/h or lower); avoid sudden braking near animals.

•  In malaria areas (including Mana Pools), take recommended prophylaxis, use repellent, and wear long clothing in the evenings.

These points are drawn from official park codes of conduct (ZimParks/Mana Pools), SANParks guidance, travel advisories, and documented human-wildlife conflict data.

No injuries were reported from this encounter.

Three Suspects Arrested After Farm Attack Near Cullinan

Three suspects were arrested following a farm attack in the Cullinan area of Gauteng. The incident involved the assault, stabbing and alleged torture of a victim at a farmhouse outside Cullinan, with the property ransacked and a bakkie stolen.

Tactical units tracked a vehicle linked to a suspected criminal group overnight. The vehicle was intercepted in Welbekend, near Bronkhorstspruit. Officers arrested three suspects at the scene and recovered suspected stolen property.

The investigation then led police to a farmhouse outside Cullinan. There, officers found the victim hog-tied to his bed. He was suffering serious injuries after allegedly being assaulted, stabbed and tortured for several hours. The farmhouse had been ransacked, and the victim’s bakkie was missing.

Emergency Medical Services treated the victim at the scene. He was later transported for further medical care.

The three suspects remain in custody while police continue their investigation into the attack.

The events took place in the Cullinan / Bronkhorstspruit area of Gauteng. Reports of the incident and the subsequent arrests have circulated based on information from security sources monitoring rural crime in the region.

No further official details regarding the identities of the victim or suspects, specific charges, or additional recovered items have been publicly confirmed at this stage. Police investigations are ongoing.

Zimbabwean man sells same tuck shop container to four South African buyers before fleeing amid wave of departures by foreign nationals

A Zimbabwean man has been accused of selling the same tuck shop container to four different South African buyers before leaving the country, creating an ownership dispute among the purchasers.

According to reports, each of the four South African buyers believed they had completed a legitimate purchase of the container structure, which functioned as a tuck shop or spaza shop, and paid the seller for it. The transactions appeared independent until the buyers later encountered one another. When they compared details of their respective deals, they discovered that all four had paid the same Zimbabwean individual for the identical container.

The seller was no longer available or contactable after the sales. This left the four buyers to manage the conflicting ownership claims among themselves. Each maintains that their purchase was valid and that they hold a legitimate claim to the structure. The seller’s reported departure from South Africa has prevented clarification of the sequence of events or recovery of the funds paid.

Some accounts state that the man had operated the container-based spaza shop and left while fleeing xenophobic violence. One report identified the buyers as Zulu men.

This individual case occurred against a broader background in which large numbers of foreign nationals, including many Zimbabweans, departed South Africa in mid-2026. Anti-immigrant groups had set an unofficial June 30 deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country. The deadline was accompanied by threats and reports of violence targeting migrants regardless of legal status. Foreign-owned businesses, including spaza shops, faced attacks, looting, and forced closures in various areas.

South Africa’s Border Management Authority reported that more than 13,000 foreign nationals, including approximately 3,000 Zimbabweans, had been voluntarily repatriated or deported in a two-week period around that time. Zimbabwean authorities reported repatriating 3,624 of their nationals by late June. Additional figures indicated thousands more Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals had left through border points such as Beitbridge. Crowds of Zimbabweans gathered outside consulates in cities including Cape Town and Johannesburg seeking assistance to return home. Similar movements involved nationals from Malawi, Mozambique, and other countries.

Reports documented incidents of homes and shops being burned, people being displaced from informal settlements, and migrants camping in open areas or transit sites while awaiting transport. South African officials rejected the unofficial deadline and stated that immigration enforcement remained the responsibility of authorised state agencies. Rights groups and some government statements noted the risk of further violence and the impact on foreign nationals living and working in the country.

No specific names of the individuals involved in the container sales, the exact location of the tuck shop within South Africa, the amounts paid, or the precise dates of the transactions have been published in available reports. The ownership dispute among the four buyers remains unresolved, with the accused seller reported as out of reach.

WATCH: Somali shopkeeper Khalid Husen Ahmed shot dead in Khayelitsha, Cape Town

A Somali national identified as Khalid Husen Ahmed was shot and killed at a shop in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, on Saturday, 8 August 2026.

The incident occurred inside the shop and was captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage. The timestamp on the available video recording places the events at approximately 17:15 local time. Footage shows the interior of a small retail outlet stocked with everyday goods, including packaged foods, household items and other merchandise typical of a spaza shop or convenience store operating in a township setting. A person is visible in the premises prior to the arrival of an individual who approaches and the subsequent shooting. Ahmed died as a result of the gunshot wounds sustained in the attack.

The killing took place in Khayelitsha, a large township on the outskirts of Cape Town in the Western Cape province. Khayelitsha has long recorded elevated levels of violent crime, including shootings linked to robberies, gang activity and other criminal enterprises. Foreign nationals operating small businesses, particularly Somali shopkeepers running spaza shops, have frequently been among those targeted in such incidents in the area and similar Cape Flats communities over successive years.

This shooting occurred on the same date as a separate series of overnight incidents in the Western Cape. South African Police Service (SAPS) reports confirmed that 11 people were killed in three distinct shooting events spanning late Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday, 9 August 2026. One of those incidents involved three men aged 25, 31 and 35 who were shot dead in the TR Section of Lingelethu West in Khayelitsha at approximately 22:50. Additional fatal shootings took place in Langa (four men and one woman) and in the Barcelona informal settlement in Gugulethu (two men and one woman, with two others injured). Provincial Serious Violent Crimes Unit detectives are investigating those cases. Western Cape police have increased deployments in the affected areas and other identified hotspots. No arrests had been reported in connection with the overnight shootings at the time of initial police statements, and motives remained under investigation. Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Sizakhele Dyantyi and senior management were reported to be visiting the communities to oversee the response.

Available public information on the killing of Khalid Husen Ahmed does not include confirmed details on the number of assailants, whether items were stolen, any immediate arrests, or a stated motive. The primary confirmed elements remain the identity of the victim as a Somali national working as a shopkeeper, the location of the shop in Khayelitsha, the date and approximate time of the shooting, the fact that it was recorded on CCTV, and that Ahmed was fatally shot.

Somali nationals have established numerous small retail businesses across Cape Town’s townships over many years, often filling gaps in local retail access. These shops have repeatedly featured in police and community reports of targeted robberies and violence. Broader patterns of crime affecting foreign-owned spaza shops in areas including Khayelitsha have been documented in prior incidents involving demands for cash or goods, or links to local criminal groups, though each case is investigated individually.

Police continue to investigate the circumstances of Ahmed’s death. Anyone with information that could assist is typically directed to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use official SAPS channels, including anonymous options where available.

As of the most recent reports circulating on the day the incident became public, no further official updates on suspects, forensic findings or charges specific to this shooting had been widely detailed beyond the confirmation of the victim’s identity, nationality, occupation and the fact of the fatal shooting at the Khayelitsha shop.

Two Anti-Gang Unit constables and two women killed in Reiger Park ambush

Two members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) Anti-Gang Unit and two civilian women were shot dead in Reiger Park, Boksburg, in Ekurhuleni, on Friday evening, 7 August 2026.

The incident occurred at approximately 19:30. The two constables formed part of a crime prevention team conducting patrols in the area. Officers heard gunshots and drove towards the source of the firing. Preliminary reports indicate they were then ambushed by unknown gunmen.

A Volkswagen Polo had come under fire in the area. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who visited the scene with provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, stated that two women in the vehicle were also killed. One of the women has been identified as 31-year-old Roleen (also referred to as Rolene) Lessing. The second civilian victim was identified as Jaydin Margerman, aged 21, described as a passenger and close friend of Lessing.

The police vehicle involved in the response reportedly crashed into a wall near a school after the officers came under fire. Community members reported hearing sustained gunfire. The scene was secured by police, with blood visible in the immediate area according to reports from the location.

Lieutenant General Mthombeni confirmed that the two officers were young constables attached to the Anti-Gang Unit. He stated that officers had been deployed to the area from around 18:00, with multiple vehicles present to support community safety in what police described as a gang-affected locality. Specialist resources were immediately mobilised, including Crime Intelligence, the Tracking Team, Crime Scene Management, and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks). The case was referred to the Hawks for investigation as it involves the killing of police officers.

Premier Lesufi described the scene as distressing and stated: “If you attack the police, you attack the State, it’s a declaration of war.” He expressed confidence that police would work to arrest those responsible and extended condolences to the families of the deceased.

Acting National Commissioner of SAPS, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, appealed directly to residents of Reiger Park and surrounding areas for assistance. She stated that someone in the community likely witnessed the attack or knows the identities and whereabouts of the perpetrators, and urged residents not to shield those involved. No arrests had been reported in the immediate aftermath.

On Sunday, 9 August 2026, Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia, Premier Lesufi, Acting National Commissioner Dimpane, and Lieutenant General Mthombeni were scheduled to visit the scene. Government statements condemned the killings and affirmed that resources had been deployed to apprehend those responsible. Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza visited affected families and indicated that metro police resources would be mobilised to support efforts against drugs and gangsterism pending a full police report.

Family members of Lessing described her as a generous, jovial person dedicated to her family. She had lost her parents at a young age and was characterised as an amazing mother who was supportive and outspoken. At the time of the incident, she had been attending a close friend’s father’s funeral. Relatives noted the community’s long-standing exposure to violence and expressed that the loss had left them struggling for words.

Reiger Park has experienced repeated incidents of gun violence linked to gang activity and drugs in recent years. Police and provincial authorities have previously conducted operations and community engagements in the area aimed at addressing these issues. The latest killings have prompted renewed calls from police leadership for community cooperation in providing information to investigators.

As of the latest available reports, the identities of the two constables had not been publicly released by SAPS, and the investigation remained active with specialised units deployed. Anyone with information is urged to contact police.

WATCH: Parklands High principal confronts scholar transport drivers after alleged alcohol incident with learners in Alberton

On 6 August 2026, just before midday during school hours, members of the Greater Alberton Education Transport Co-operative Limited (GAETCOI) confronted scholar transport drivers and a group of schoolgirls in an open parking area used by scholar transport vehicles. The location is situated between the Alberton Civic Centre and Ring Road East in Alberton.

GAETCOI members found three adult males sitting in a minibus taxi with about 10 schoolgirls. One of the girls was wearing civilian clothing while the others were in school uniform. The association’s members observed the group allegedly drinking alcohol inside the vehicle. Alberton SAPS and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) officers were called to the scene. The driver of the vehicle had just left it when authorities arrived.

Fikile Mogashoa of GAETCOI stated that the association found schoolgirls inside the transport vehicle drinking alcohol during school hours. He said it is the association’s responsibility to ensure learner safety from the time a child leaves home until they return. Mogashoa indicated that the group decided to call the police and the principal of the affected school. He added that if similar behaviour is observed involving drivers and learners from other schools in Alberton, the association will address those cases as well.

The learners involved are understood to be from Parklands High School. Parklands High principal Robert Brown attended the scene. He was visibly upset and confronted the scholar transport drivers while they were detained in a police vehicle. Brown repeatedly shouted questions at them, including: “You’re trying to impress 14-year-olds, for what? Why are you in the car with 14-year-olds?!”

During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered a crate of beer, a five-litre container of wine, and plastic cups. The vehicle’s owner was summoned to the scene. The driver and the learners were taken to the Alberton Police Station. An officer collected contact details of the learners’ parents.

Video footage of the confrontation between principal Robert Brown and the detained drivers circulated online shortly after the incident. No further official statements regarding charges, outcomes of any investigation, or subsequent actions by the school, police, or transport authorities were detailed in initial reports of the event.

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