EASTERN CAPE – A swift and coordinated response by the South African Police Service (SAPS) has led to the arrest of six suspects and the recovery of stolen property, ammunition, and dangerous weapons following a house robbery in KwaZakhele.
According to SAPS spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg, the incident occurred on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, at approximately 23:10. A homeowner was at his residence on Tlalore Street in KwaZakhele with his family when four armed suspects—comprising three men and one woman—arrived at the property in a white Toyota Tazz.
The complainant was in the process of closing the front gate after a friend’s departure when the suspects confronted the family and ordered them back inside the residence. The perpetrators demanded iPhones, which the victims did not possess. While two of the suspects searched the bedrooms for valuables, the remaining male suspect and the female suspect removed a plasma television from the wall. The group also robbed the victims of three cellphones before attempting to flee the scene. They ultimately abandoned the television after it could not fit into the getaway vehicle.
The robbery was immediately reported to SAPS KwaZakhele, prompting authorities to circulate a lookout for the suspects’ vehicle. Police members responded rapidly, soon spotting and intercepting the white Toyota Tazz.
During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers recovered the three cellphones stolen during the robbery, alongside an additional four cellphones believed to be linked to other criminal cases. Authorities also seized two replica firearms, one replica rifle, eight rounds of .38 Special ammunition, and a dangerous weapon. Furthermore, various items suspected to have been stolen during previous house robberies in the Joe Slovo and Motherwell policing areas were recovered. The white Toyota Tazz used in the commission of the crime was confiscated.
Six suspects, ranging in age from 16 to 33 years, were taken into custody. They are currently facing charges of house robbery, possession of ammunition, possession of suspected stolen property, and possession of a dangerous weapon. Captain Janse van Rensburg noted that further charges may be added as investigations continue and additional cases are linked to the recovered property.
No shots were fired during the arrest, and no injuries or damage to property were reported. The suspects are expected to appear in the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court in the near future.
