Gauteng police arrest 10, recover nine firearms after Cleveland shootout

Gauteng police arrested ten people and recovered nine firearms following a shootout in Cleveland, Johannesburg, on Monday evening.

The incident

The exchange of gunfire took place on 21 September at about 7:36pm. Police officers on patrol noticed a Hyundai H100 fitted with blue lights and a siren, and said the vehicle’s driver behaved erratically, repeatedly stopping and driving off when officers attempted to intercept it.

Confrontation and shootout

Police called for backup and continued to follow the vehicle. When it eventually stopped, three suspects allegedly jumped out and opened fire at the police. According to the South African Police Service (Saps), the situation escalated into a shootout.

“A shootout ensued between the police and the suspects. Two suspects fled the scene on foot, while a third suspect was fatally shot,” Sibeko said.

Officers subsequently searched the vehicle and found ten suspects inside. The arrested suspects are aged between 30 and 54.

Weapons and charges

Police recovered nine firearms, magazines and live ammunition from the scene. Cleveland police have opened cases of murder, attempted murder, attempted business robbery, and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

Next steps

The arrested suspects are expected to appear in court soon, and police investigations are ongoing.

Related school incidents in KZN

Separately, the KwaZulu‑Natal Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka condemned two violent incidents at schools. One was a fatal robbery at Inanda Comprehensive High School in which a security guard was killed. The other involved the shooting of three Grade 12 learners outside Bukimvelo High School; the pupils were hospitalised and the suspect remains at large. The department said it would provide psychological support to affected pupils and families.