Seven male suspects, aged between 24 and 44, are scheduled to appear before the Giyani Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 07 May 2026, following their arrest in connection with a violent robbery at Hlaneki Mine and the subsequent recovery of unlicensed firearms, ammunition, and suspected stolen property.
The arrests stem from an incident on Friday, 24 April 2026, at approximately 23:00, when a group of about eight armed suspects allegedly ambushed security guards at Hlaneki Mine in the Giyani policing area, Mopani District. During the attack, the suspects robbed the guards of a firearm and two cellular phones. One of the security officers later died from gunshot wounds sustained during the incident. Cases of murder, robbery, and assault were registered.
Acting on intelligence, a multidisciplinary team comprising the Mopani Tracking Team, Highway Patrol, Mopani Infrastructure, and Mahosi Security conducted a coordinated operation on Tuesday, 05 May 2026, at about 12:00. A silver Hyundai Staria linked to the incident was identified, monitored, and tactically intercepted along the R81 road opposite Kremetart in the Giyani Central Business District.
Upon searching the vehicle, police recovered four unlicensed firearms and 95 rounds of live ammunition, including 75 revolver rounds and 20 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Further investigations confirmed that two cellphones recovered in the vehicle belonged to the security officers attacked during the Hlaneki Mine robbery. Preliminary ballistic analysis has linked two of the recovered firearms to cases reported in Giyani in April 2026 and in Welkom in August 2025.
All seven suspects face charges of possession of unlicensed firearms, unlawful possession of ammunition, possession of suspected stolen property, and illegal immigration. Six of the suspects are foreign nationals from Lesotho. Investigations are ongoing, and additional charges, including murder and robbery, are expected to be added as the case progresses.