On Friday morning, 10 April 2026, an attempted hijacking took place at the entrance to Leandra on the R29 from Kinross, approximately 2 km from Leandra in Mpumalanga.
A 37-year-old man driving a Ford Ranger bakkie was approached by a Mercedes-Benz SUV. The suspects activated flashing lights and hazard lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The driver continued to a safer location about 2 km from Leandra before pulling over.
According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo, one suspect approached the Ford Ranger from the driver’s side while two others, both armed with firearms, entered the passenger and rear seats of the bakkie. The motorist opened fire at the hijackers. The suspects fled on foot into nearby bushes, returning fire as they ran.
Police traced the suspects’ movements and located the body of one man who had been shot. He was confirmed as one of the hijacking suspects and was declared dead at the scene.
Three other suspects, aged 36, 40 and 50, were arrested in Leandra’s residential area. They were charged with attempted car hijacking and attempted murder.
The three arrested men appeared in the Leandra Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 13 April 2026. The case was postponed to Friday, 24 April 2026, to allow further investigations. Police are examining possible links between the suspects and other car hijackings in the area.
Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that the investigation remains active. No further details on the deceased suspect or additional recoveries have been released.
Suspect Killed in Accidental Explosion During Kranskop Cash-in-Transit Heist
Kranskop, KwaZulu-Natal – A cash-in-transit robbery in the Kranskop central business district on Monday, 13 April 2026, ended with one suspect dead after he was fatally injured in an explosion while handling explosives intended for the heist.
According to available information, the incident began when armed suspects targeted a cash-in-transit vehicle, making off with an undisclosed sum of cash. Three security guards on duty at the scene were robbed of their service firearms. In the course of the robbery, four additional vehicles were hijacked and used by the group as getaway cars. Shots were also fired in the direction of a nearby police station.
CCTV footage from the scene, which has since circulated online, shows the moment one suspect was killed while preparing explosives. The recording captures a sudden blast in the parking area, followed by a large cloud of smoke and debris scattering across the lot. A body is visible on the ground near a white SUV immediately after the explosion, with other individuals seen reacting and moving away from the blast site.
The suspect’s body was discovered the following day, Tuesday, 14 April 2026, inside a vehicle abandoned on a gravel road near the Tugela River in the direction of Nkandla. Explosives that had been intended for use in the robbery were recovered in connection with the incident.
Police have confirmed that the group involved was large, with authorities estimating at least 12 suspects took part in the operation. A manhunt is now underway for the remaining members of the group. Investigations remain active, and law enforcement has appealed to members of the public to come forward with any information that could assist in locating the outstanding suspects.
JMPD Officer Lindani Moses Maleka Fatally Shot While Off Duty in Orange Farm
Johannesburg, 14 April 2026 – The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) has confirmed the death of one of its officers, 30-year-old Lindani Moses Maleka, who was shot and killed while off duty on the evening of 13 April 2026.
According to the department, the incident took place at Sizanani Street in Extension 6A, Orange Farm. Officer Maleka had just finished his shift and had driven to the area to visit a female companion. He was seated inside his vehicle when unidentified suspects approached.
Preliminary reports indicate that the suspects forcibly removed the female passenger from the vehicle before opening fire on Officer Maleka. He sustained fatal gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene by Emergency Medical Services personnel.
The officer’s service firearm was not taken during the attack. A case of murder has been opened at the Orange Farm South African Police Service (SAPS) station.
JMPD Chief of Police Commissioner Patrick Jaca expressed the department’s shock at the killing. “The department is devastated by this senseless act of violence. We lose not just a colleague, but a protector of this city. Our deepest condolences go out to the Maleka family and his loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” he said.
The JMPD has described the shooting as a tragic loss for the department and the city it serves. Investigations are ongoing, with all relevant role players remaining on high alert.
Members of the public who may have information about the incident or the identities of the suspects are urged to come forward. Information can be provided to the investigating team or submitted anonymously through the SAPS Crime Stop line on 08600 10111.
The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department issued the statement through its Communications Unit on Tuesday afternoon.
Ormonde Shootout: Video Footage Emerges of Fatal Armed Robbery in Johannesburg
JOHANNESBURG – Dramatic video footage has surfaced showing the moments of a deadly shootout in Ormonde last week, during which two businessmen were killed in a brazen armed robbery.
The victims were part of a cash-in-transit convoy that came under attack by heavily armed suspects. Yusuf Modan demonstrated bravery by turning his vehicle around to assist his colleagues who were under fire. By that stage, Abdul Hamid Moosa had already been fatally wounded. Modan was later shot and killed as he confronted the attackers. A security guard was also seriously injured in the incident.
According to details of the attack, the suspects ambushed the convoy, triggering a high-speed chase and exchange of gunfire. One suspect was killed and another was injured during the confrontation, while the remaining robbers fled the scene with the stolen cash.
Investigations by the South African Police Service are continuing.
- One suspect was killed and four others were arrested following a police shooting in Athlone, Cape Town, on Monday.
- Suspected Poachers Confronted by Member of the Public at Schoenmakerskop
- Three Suspects Shot Dead Following Armed Robbery at Jewellery Store in Highveld Mall, eMalahleni
- Two Suspects Killed in Highveld Mall Jewellery Store Armed Robbery as Manhunt Continues for Armed Fugitives
- Firearms and Ammunition Recovered from Alberton Storage Unit by Ekurhuleni Metro Police
Emfuleni Municipality Acting Accountant Gunned Down in Broad-Daylight Attack at Vanderbijlpark Tyre Shop
Vanderbijlpark – A 39-year-old acting accountant employed by the Emfuleni Local Municipality was shot and killed on 30 March 2026 while waiting for a puncture to be repaired at a local tyre shop. The execution-style attack was captured on CCTV footage that later circulated widely on social media.
Martha Mani Rantsofu, who worked in the municipality’s revenue collection department, had recently been promoted to acting accountant after serving as a senior clerk. According to her brother, Tsotang Rantsofu, she was a dedicated public servant who often spent weekends at the office. Finance Member of the Mayoral Committee Hassan Mako described her as “a dedicated public servant” and called on law enforcement to act swiftly so that justice could be served.
The incident occurred in the evening. Tsotang Rantsofu received a call from his sister’s friend just after 7 pm instructing him to go to an address in Vanderbijlpark. On arrival he found the scene already cordoned off, with his sister’s body covered. “I saw a shoe and her leg … she was already covered,” he told Sowetan. “It was the shock of my life. I felt like my heart was outside my body and someone had stabbed it with a knife. I couldn’t believe it … seeing her face and lifeless body really killed me. My heart felt rage.”
CCTV footage of the attack shows an unknown man approaching Rantsofu, firing several shots, and then, as she fell, pumping additional bullets into her head at close range before fleeing the scene. No items were reported stolen and the motive for the killing remains unknown.
Rantsofu was due to graduate with an honours degree in public relations from the University of South Africa (Unisa) in June. Her brother said the family now faces the painful task of notifying the institution of her death and collecting her qualification posthumously. “Now we have to write to the institution to inform them she has passed, and we have to go and fetch her qualification without her,” he said.
The family remains in the dark about what led to the murder. Tsotang Rantsofu stated that “the relevant people should be arrested and tell us exactly what they were trying to hide” by killing her. He noted that her employment at the Emfuleni Local Municipality had raised a red flag for investigators. Rantsofu had also been an applicant in a legal battle involving a property developer, with the matter set down for trial on 9 April – before her death.
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed the murder and said the docket has been handed over to the South African Police Service’s Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) for investigation. Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
The family has expressed shock that such violence could be directed at Rantsofu, describing it as a deliberate act intended to ensure she “did not see the sun the next morning”. No arrests have been reported at this stage.
