The South African Police Service, together with other government departments and community stakeholders, have been hard at work as Operation Shanela continues to gain momentum across Mpumalanga.

The multi-day operation, carried out from April 23 to 26, focused on stabilising crime hotspots through coordinated law enforcement activities.

These included roadblocks, stop-and-search operations, high-visibility patrols, and the tracing of wanted suspects. Authorities also targeted hostels and non-compliant liquor outlets, shutting down several illegal establishments in the process.

Operation Shanela II conducted across the Mpumalanga Province.https://t.co/dUe6JXV0BO#ArriveAlive #FrugsOffTheStreets @SAPoliceService pic.twitter.com/GZQLHQe6P2

— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) April 28, 2026

Their combined efforts resulted in the arrest of more than 1 400 suspects linked to a wide range of serious crimes.

These include murder, attempted murder, rape, assault, driving under the influence, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, drug-related offences, illicit mining, human trafficking, illegal liquor trading, and immigration violations.

Several wanted suspects connected to violent crimes were also successfully apprehended.

Read more here: Community calls for justice ahead of Nkosi’s alleged rape and kidnapping trial

Community members are calling for justice as the trial of Cascar Nkosi is set to begin next month in Middelburg
Read more here: https://t.co/ki5HjpB7q3 pic.twitter.com/n1FF4nTFOa

— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) April 27, 2026

Police further reported major confiscations during the operation, including firearms, ammunition, dangerous weapons, drugs, counterfeit goods, cash, vehicles, precious metals, explosives, and large quantities of liquor.

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