A female salon owner was shot and killed on Nakuru Street near Ehlanzeni Hostel in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday night, 19 September 2026.
According to preliminary information circulating from the scene, the businesswoman was attacked shortly after returning from a client. Police responded to the shooting, secured the area, and temporarily closed the road opposite Ehlanzeni Hostel while processing the crime scene.
The motive for the killing remains unknown. Investigations are ongoing. No arrests have been reported at this stage.
Community members with any information that could assist the investigation are urged to contact the South African Police Service or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Tembisa falls under the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality on Gauteng’s East Rand. The incident occurred against a backdrop of heightened concern over violent crime in the broader region, including a separate series of investigations into the deaths of multiple women whose bodies were discovered in areas including Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Clayville (near the Mall of Thembisa), KwaThema and Dawn Park between July and mid-September 2026. Police have treated those cases as distinct inquiries involving dumped bodies, with one suspect already in custody linked to an earlier incident and a multidisciplinary team deployed. Authorities have not publicly connected the Saturday night shooting in Tembisa to that wider probe.
Ehlanzeni Hostel has previously been the focus of police operations related to gang-related violence and firearms in the area. Nakuru Street is a local road in the vicinity of the hostel.
At the time of reporting, no official South African Police Service statement specifically confirming the identity of the victim, the precise circumstances of the attack, or further forensic details has been widely published by major news outlets. Details available derive from on-the-ground reports describing an active crime scene involving a female salon owner who was shot dead.
Further updates will depend on official police releases, post-mortem results and the progress of the investigation by local detectives. Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to come forward through the official channels listed above.
Cable Theft Across South Africa Leaves Communities Without Power, Disrupts Transport and Endangers Lives
Cable theft, primarily involving copper cables, continues across South Africa, with more than 20,000 cases recorded nationwide each year. High-incidence areas include Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Mpumalanga. Targets include Eskom power lines, Transnet and PRASA railway networks, municipal electricity infrastructure, telecommunications systems, industrial sites, private properties such as farms and factories, residential service connections, and cables on trucks. Infrastructure near informal settlements is frequently targeted.
Eskom has reported annual losses from copper cable theft, overhead lines, conductors and related copper of between R5 billion and R7 billion, plus approximately R2 billion spent on replacements. In one reported period from April 2024 to February 2025, infrastructure vandalism and theft cost the utility about R221 million. Transnet recorded more than R1.6 billion in losses due to cable theft in 2022. In the 2023 financial year, 1,121 kilometres of cable were stolen from Transnet, nearly an eight-fold increase over five years. From March 2019 to the end of October 2023, more than 4,600 kilometres of copper cables were stolen from Transnet. Combined direct losses to entities including Eskom, Transnet, PRASA and Telkom have been estimated at approximately R7 billion annually in some assessments. Independent research commissioned by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition estimated the annual economic damage from copper theft alone at more than R45 billion. Broader estimates of overall economic impact, including indirect costs, range between R7 billion and R10 billion, with some older assessments citing associated losses around R187 billion.
In Johannesburg, City Power recorded 1,105 incidents of cable theft and vandalism in 2025. From July 2025 to January 2026 the utility recorded 652 incidents, which outpaced its repair capacity and left communities without electricity for extended periods. From January to June 2025 it recorded 481 incidents. In analyses of outages, approximately 20 percent have been associated with theft and vandalism. In Tshwane, cable theft and infrastructure vandalism cost the metro between R8 million and R10 million annually. The city records about 2,000 unplanned power outages across its seven regions each month. Theft and vandalism contribute around 40 percent of total outages in city analyses, while electrical faults account for about 50 percent. Thieves have targeted electrical protection equipment including tripping batteries, network control cables and earthing conductors at substations. Removal of these components compromises protection of downstream networks, allowing electrical faults to persist longer and affecting more consumers. City analyses state that in severe cases this poses risks of serious injury, fatalities and large-scale destruction of substations due to overheating of unprotected equipment.
The City of Cape Town spent more than R75 million on infrastructure repairs and replacement arising from vandalism and theft during the 2025/26 financial year, according to data reported as of June 2026. Earlier figures for the same financial year showed spending already exceeding R44.5 million as of January 2026. At one site, Kapteinsklip train station, repairs and upgrades to electricity infrastructure damaged by criminal activity cost more than R800,000 after electricity cables, streetlight poles and associated fittings were damaged or stolen, resulting in service disruptions and reduced public lighting. In eThekwini, losses of approximately R120 million to copper cable theft were reported for the period from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, with an average of 80 cases reported to the South African Police Service each month.
Telecommunications infrastructure has also been heavily affected. According to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa’s State of the ICT Sector report, the cost of stolen equipment increased 189 percent to R201.5 million in 2025 from R69.6 million in 2024. Mobile operators redirected spending earmarked for network expansion into repairs of existing infrastructure. MTN and Vodacom together spent about R550 million in 2024 on repairing vandalised sites, replacing stolen batteries and restoring damaged infrastructure. MTN reported close to 500 incidents of theft and vandalism in a single year, costing roughly R450 million to replace stolen batteries and repair damaged base stations.
Residential service cables, which run from electricity poles to property boundaries and can be suspended overhead or buried underground, have been targeted in Johannesburg suburbs. When these cables on private property are stolen or damaged, City Power’s supply policy places the cost of repair or replacement on the customer. The utility reconnects supply only after the customer has repaired or replaced the cable using accredited electricians. Power spikes and surges linked to cable theft have damaged household appliances including fridges, freezers, televisions and washing machines. One residential complex in Centurion reported combined losses exceeding R1 million from a surge linked to the theft of cables valued at roughly R10,000. In multiple areas of Johannesburg, syndicates have removed copper cables and substituted other cable types such as ABC cables. City Power investigations confirmed these substitutions in most of the city’s service delivery centres. The substitutions have been linked to electric shock complaints inside homes and yards. Incorrect underground installation of ABC cables has increased risks of electric shocks, fires and prolonged outages. Large numbers of households connected improperly to single distributors have led to system overloading, phasing problems and repeated power trips.
Cable theft from trucks has been documented in several locations. On the M4 toward Solomon Mahlangu (Edwin Swales) and South Coast Road in the Clairwood area of Durban, thieves have cut reefer cables on trucks transporting refrigerated containers, as well as accelerator cables and air-piping systems. This has caused trucks to lose control and crash into other vehicles. Suspects have jumped onto stationary or slow-moving trucks at traffic lights, threatened drivers and damaged wiring systems. Similar incidents have occurred on the R102 stretch between Umhlanga and Verulam, where groups cut electric cables connecting the truck and trailer, including those for brakes, lights and ABS systems, immobilising the vehicle. In one reported case a 12-metre cable was removed. Hotspots include Rossburgh, Clairwood, Bayhead and stretches of the R102. Trucks have also been intercepted while carrying large quantities of suspected stolen copper cables. In one Free State operation along the N1 at Vaal Plaza, a truck held stripped copper cables weighing about 28,200 kg with an estimated market value of R8 million. In another incident near Bloemfontein, cables belonging to Mangaung Metro’s Centlec, Telkom and Eskom, estimated at more than R300,000, were recovered.
Power outages resulting from cable theft affect households, businesses, hospitals, schools and essential services. Communities have been left without electricity for extended periods while repairs are undertaken. Farmers have reported impacts on irrigation systems, cold storage, processing facilities and security systems, with effects on crop yields and elevated safety risks during outages. Rail services experience delays, cancellations and reduced operations. Portions of Transnet’s network have been described as largely inoperable due to cable theft and vandalism, contributing to freight volumes falling to levels last seen in earlier historical periods and forcing greater reliance on road transport for commodities such as coal. Passenger rail services have also been disrupted, with entire services halted in some regions after damage to substations or cables. Traffic signals and street lighting fail during outages. The burning of cable casings during processing causes air pollution.
Hospitals have scaled back operations when copper components critical to systems such as oxygen piping were affected. Gauteng health facilities reported losses of over R4.5 million in copper pipes and R917,297 in copper cables and wires, for a total of about R5.4 million across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years. Facilities including Lenasia South District Hospital, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital reported impacts. Disruptions affect neonatal intensive care units, dialysis machines, refrigeration of medicines and HVAC systems in theatres. In one case at Bongani Regional Hospital in the Free State, cable theft led to the emergency transfer of 21 critical care patients.
Schools experience power interruptions that disrupt lighting, computers and laboratory equipment. At Mokutupi Primary School in Limpopo, a 15-year-old Grade 7 learner was electrocuted after contact with an exposed power cable during lunch break. Parts of electrical cables connected to air conditioners in four mobile classrooms had been cut and left exposed after unknown people allegedly stole sections of the cables.
Electrocution has caused deaths and injuries linked to cable theft and related infrastructure damage. City Power recorded 24 deaths due to electrocution over a two-year period linked to people tampering with its infrastructure to steal parts or make illegal connections. In Cullinan in July 2025, municipal electricity teams investigating a power outage found the body of a man aged approximately 30 to 40 inside a mini-substation; he had been fatally electrocuted while cutting live cables. In Eldorado Park, two suspects sustained severe burns from electrocution while attempting to steal cables. In Bloemfontein’s Bayswater area, a man was found dead with extensive burn wounds after attempting to cut cables from a high-voltage power line. In Polokwane, an unidentified man died after electrocution while allegedly attempting to steal cables from an electrical power box near a scrap metal facility. In 2021, two children aged 3 and 5 were fatally electrocuted by exposed wires in an informal settlement near Cleveland in Johannesburg, an area known for electricity theft activity. Innocent people, including children, have been electrocuted after contact with live electricity cables left dangling by vandals. Security personnel protecting infrastructure have been killed or injured during incidents.
Organised groups are frequently involved in the thefts. Syndicates use vehicles, equipment and in some cases encrypted communications. They may collaborate with scrap dealers and, in reported cases, corrupt officials or security personnel. Copper is sold locally or internationally. Some groups have been linked to elements associated with illegal mining activity. Scrapyards have been sites of recovery operations in which large quantities of stripped cable were seized alongside equipment used to process it.
Cable thief gets caught on cable attached to moving truck pic.twitter.com/kI1aACUPOJ
— PrimeTime News (@PrimeTimeNewsZA) September 19, 2026
These recorded incidents and statistics show that cable theft removes critical conductors from electricity, rail and telecommunications networks, produces extended service disruptions for households, businesses, healthcare facilities, schools, transport systems and agricultural operations, and results in electrocutions that have killed both those attempting theft and members of the public who come into contact with damaged infrastructure.
OTHER NEWS
Three Suspects Arrested Within 24 Hours for Esther Park Murder
A 41-year-old man was fatally shot at approximately 16:20 on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, at the intersection of Parklands and Cawood Streets in Esther Park, Kempton Park. The victim has been identified as South African racing driver Robert Wolk. He was declared dead at the scene.
According to reports, Wolk’s Audi was involved in a low-speed collision, described as a bumper-bash incident, with a blue Volkswagen Jetta 5 sedan. Wolk exited his vehicle to inspect the damage. An argument developed between the motorists. A firearm was produced during the confrontation. Wolk was shot in the back as he attempted to leave the scene. The suspects fled in the blue VW Jetta.
A murder case was opened at Sebenza SAPS. Investigation established that the getaway vehicle was linked to two other cases involving hijacking and murder.
Following the receipt of credible information, a joint intelligence-driven operation was launched. The operation involved the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) Northern Region Task Team, SAPS Crime Intelligence, and Blue Hawk Tactical. The team tracked and intercepted the suspects within 24 hours of the shooting.
One suspect was arrested in the Spartan area. Two other suspects were arrested at Enhlanzeni Hostel, where the vehicle used in the crime was also recovered. One of the suspects led officers to a house at Allandale Farm in Mayibuye. There, a Beretta pistol with a filed-off serial number and 17 rounds of live ammunition, believed to have been used in the murder, were recovered.
The three suspects have been detained. They face charges of possession of a suspected hijacked motor vehicle, murder, and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
EMPD Chief of Police IJ Mapiyeye has commended the officers involved for their swift response, dedication, and collaborative effort that resulted in the arrests.
The City of Ekurhuleni has stated that the municipality is not a haven for criminal activity and that law enforcement agencies continue to work to address violent crime in the area. Those responsible for such offences will face the full might of the law.
Wolk, a long-standing figure in South African motorsport with a career spanning nearly three decades, held multiple national titles. These included the 2021 and 2022 SA GTC Championships and the 2024 SA Touring Cars Championship. He had also won the Simola Hillclimb King of the Hill title on more than one occasion. At the time of the incident he was travelling in the direction of OR Tambo International Airport and was due to compete in a racing event in Cape Town that weekend.
Video footage of the confrontation circulated on social media. Witnesses reported that Wolk pleaded with the other driver before being shot. Officers from Sebenza police station attended the scene and found the victim with gunshot wounds; an Audi linked to him was present.
The investigation remains ongoing.
