A massive manhunt is underway in the Vhembe District after five armed suspects shot a security guard in the thigh during a botched truck looting in Musina early Saturday morning. Police have officially opened a case of attempted murder following the violent encounter.
The ordeal unfolded at approximately 00:45 on Saturday, 06 June 2026, at a truck stop situated behind the Musina China Mall. The 42-year-old security officer was on duty when he was ambushed by a group of five unknown men dressed in balaclavas. According to authorities, at least one of the assailants was armed with a firearm.
The masked group forced the officer toward a parked truck on the premises, where the rear doors had already been forced open. The suspects demanded that the guard help them unload the cargo. When he refused their orders, one of the men struck him with an open hand. As the victim cried out for help, a second suspect drew a firearm and shot him in the right thigh.
Following the shooting, the five suspects fled the scene on foot, disappearing into the adjacent bushland. Emergency medical personnel quickly arrived at the truck stop, transporting the wounded guard to a hospital for medical treatment.
A subsequent police sweep of the surrounding area revealed that the suspects had already offloaded a portion of the cargo and stashed it in the nearby bushes. Officers successfully recovered a bolt cutter believed to be the tool used to breach the truck, alongside a significant haul of goods. The retrieved items included:
* 138 boxes of Kellogg’s noodles
* 56 boxes of Pringles Pops
* 4 boxes of Aero chocolate
* 22 tins of Lucky Star fish
The truck’s driver, a Malawian national, inspected the scene and confirmed to investigators that the entirety of the stolen goods had been recovered, leaving the shipment completely intact with nothing missing.