Inside the Turbulent G20 Weekend: Gauteng Police Arrest 13 Linked to Summit Chaos

A global summit meets South African reality

Johannesburg promised the world a smooth and secure G20 Leaders Summit, but anyone who knows Gauteng knew there would be… complications.
And sure enough, by the time the world’s delegations packed their bags at Nasrec on 23 November, police had recorded 14 security-related incidents and 13 arrests directly linked to the summit.

The details emerged during a post-summit briefing led by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi on Monday, with several MMCs at his side.

In true South African honesty, Lesufi summed up the weekend with a line that had local social media buzzing:
“You all know, South Africans being South Africans, there was no way that we would not have problems.”

Theft, firearms and chaos: what actually happened

While the G20 stage was filled with handshakes and diplomatic speeches, the streets of Johannesburg told a different story.

1. Theft targeting international delegates

Delegates from Vietnam had their cellphones and luggage stolen at Checkers, Sandton City a blow to South Africa’s image just hours into the summit.
Police moved swiftly and arrested four suspects.

2. Firearm incident at DaVinci Hotel

A separate arrest was made at the luxury DaVinci Hotel, where one individual was caught with an unauthorised firearm.

3. Ferndale firearm theft investigation

At the Mercure Hotel, two suspects were detained after investigations into a stolen SAPS firearm, possession of ammunition and negligent loss of a weapon.

4. Attempted raid at Nasrec

Police also dealt with a trespassing incident involving a group attempting to make their way into the secured area.

5. Brazilian pilots involved in dispute

In Kempton Park, a bizarre altercation involving two Brazilian pilots and two women required police intervention.

6. A car hijacking attempt, using a toy gun

In one of the weekend’s more surreal moments, a suspect attempted to hijack a police vehicle with a toy gun.
Officers managed the situation without injury.

The bigger policing picture: 1,799 arrests across Gauteng

Lesufi also used the briefing to reveal the province’s broader crime-fighting results between 17 and 20 November, a period overlapping with G20 preparations.

A staggering 1,799 people were arrested across Gauteng for crimes ranging from infrastructure vandalism to serious violent offences such as:

• assault

• rape

• murder

• attempted murder

• house robberies

Of these, 1,075 cases were linked to contact crimes, a sobering reminder of the province’s ongoing safety challenges.

Operation Shanela and a multi-agency security push

Gauteng Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni confirmed that multiple policing operations were activated before and during the summit, including Operation Shanela 2.

Security teams were deployed across:

• major highways

• hotels hosting delegates

• high-risk public spaces

According to Mthombeni, the swift arrests, particularly the Sandton City theft ring, were the result of targeted tracking, culminating in the suspects being traced to Honeydew.

He praised the joint law enforcement effort, noting that despite the disruptions, no major injuries occurred.

Protest flashpoints: Operation Dudula and MK activists clash with police

Not all of the weekend’s chaos came from criminals.

Political tensions flared outside the fortified summit venue when members of Operation Dudula and MK supporters attempted to get closer to the event to air their demands to President Cyril Ramaphosa and visiting world leaders.

Two Operation Dudula members arrested

Police arrested two men, aged 46 and 54, after an officer was injured in a violent confrontation on the summit’s opening day.

The standoff escalated when SAPS deployed tear gas, pepper spray, and mobilised water cannons to disperse the protestors.
Even Operation Dudula leader Zandile Dabula was caught in the chaos, hit with tear gas during the confrontation.

A case has now been opened for:

• public violence

• assault of a police officer

• contravention of a court order

The incident quickly trended online, where South Africans debated everything from protest rights to the optics of policing during an international diplomatic event.

A summit of contradictions

The G20 was supposed to showcase Johannesburg as an African hub capable of hosting world leaders safely and seamlessly. Instead, the weekend captured the province’s dual reality: global ambition on stage, local turbulence in the streets.

While law enforcement succeeded in preventing any major threats to delegates, the incidents, especially those involving international guests, raise important questions about security preparedness as South Africa continues to host high-profile events.

For now, authorities say the message is clear:
Gauteng can manage turbulence, but the cost, reputational and operational is unavoidable.

{Source: IOL}

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