Two suspected illegal miners killed in Roodepoort shootout with police

Two suspected illegal miners were shot dead on 28 July 2026 after an exchange of fire with Gauteng police during an intelligence‑driven operation in Roodepoort, police said.

What happened

Members of Roodepoort police, assisted by the West Rand K9 Unit and BAS Security, responded to reports of a shooting in an open field in Roodepoort during the early hours of Tuesday, 28 July 2026. When officers approached the area to investigate, the suspects allegedly opened fire. Officers returned fire and two suspected illegal miners were fatally wounded, Captain Tintswalo Sibeko said.

Weapons recovered

Police recovered several unlicensed firearms and ammunition at the scene. Among the items seized were an AK-47 rifle, a .22 calibre rifle and a 9mm Uzi, and 126 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, Sibeko said.

“The suspects allegedly opened fire on the police, resulting in a shootout. During the exchange of shots, two suspected illegal miners were fatally wounded,”

Wider policing context

Sibeko highlighted a wider haul of illegal weapons recovered in Gauteng during July. “Since the beginning of July 2026 to date, police in Gauteng have recovered 388 unlicensed firearms and 6 650 rounds of ammunition,” she said, adding that the recovered firearms include 9mm pistols, revolvers, AK-47 rifles, and shotguns.

She said those weapons were seized during a range of activities, including crime prevention operations, stop‑and‑search, patrols, vehicle checkpoints, Operation Shanela, and Operation Prosper.

“These firearms were recovered during crime prevention operations, stop-and-search, patrols, vehicle checkpoints, Operation Shanela, and Operation Prosper,”

Police response and next steps

Sibeko said no police officers or security personnel were injured in the incident. She added that police remain committed to intensifying operations aimed at dismantling illegal mining activities and removing illegal firearms from communities.

Investigations into the Roodepoort incident are ongoing.

Related police action

Earlier in the month, the South African Police Service marked International Firearm Destruction Day by crushing 11 859 firearms and parts, with Gauteng accounting for nearly 4 000 of those items. The overall destruction total for the past seven years was reported as 317 811 firearms, the police said.