Five arrested in Hammarsdale tuck‑shop burglaries as KZN police warn against lawlessness during marches

Five suspects were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, 30 June 2026, in Woody Glen, Hammarsdale, after police responded to reports of break‑ins at container tuck shops.

Rapid police response at Embuthweni Main Road

KZN police said officers attended reports of a group breaking into container tuck shops on Embuthweni Main Road in Unit 4, Mpumalanga township. One suspect was detained inside a tuck shop while four others were cornered and arrested as they tried to flee.

The suspects, whose ages range from 14 to 27 years old, face charges of malicious damage to property and business burglary. Police said the suspects are still being processed and will appear in court soon.

Police message ahead of 30 June marches

Provincial police urged residents taking part in marches to refrain from violence, criminal acts and intimidation.

“As much as police are out there to safeguard the marches, they will be enforcing the law and no lawlessness will be tolerated,”

the South African Police Service said.

Government seeks to avoid repeat of 2021 unrest

Justice Minister Mamoloko Kubayi, who chairs the Inter‑Ministerial Committee on Migration, told the media on Tuesday morning that authorities are working to ensure the violence and unrest of July 2021 are not repeated during the 30 June anti‑illegal immigration protests.

Kubayi appealed for restraint while reiterating the constitutional right to protest.

“The state today is not going out to threaten its own citizens. We have an obligation to ensure that anyone who decides to go to work, or to protest, can do so in a safe environment.”

Deadline set by organisers

The organisation March and March set a hard deadline of 30 June for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.

The arrests in Hammarsdale and the police warnings form part of a wider official effort to maintain order during the mass protests planned for the day.