Tensions in Tsakani after alleged shooting and attacks on spaza shops

Tensions have risen in Tsakani, Brakpan, after an alleged shooting involving private security and a wave of retaliatory attacks on spaza shops owned by foreign nationals. Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said a 15‑year‑old was wounded and several shops were later set alight.

What happened

According to The Citizen, armed men hired to protect spaza shops owned by foreign nationals allegedly shot and killed one person and injured a 15‑year‑old teenager in Tsakani, Brakpan. The teenager was reportedly shot three days earlier.

The Citizen also reported that reliable sources said a local school teacher was killed on Monday morning.

Retaliation and property damage

The Citizen reported that locals allegedly torched several spaza shops, mostly owned by Ethiopian and Pakistani nationals. Police attended scenes where vehicles were reportedly pelted with stones during their response, The Citizen said.

Official response and investigation

Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi told The Citizen that it was reported a group of about 100 people gathered at Extension 22 and forced a foreign national shop owner to vacate the area. She said private security officers allegedly arrived and started shooting, and that the 15‑year‑old was shot and injured.

Nevhuhulwi said a case of attempted murder and malicious damage to property was opened for further investigation and that there were currently no arrests. She said SAPS, together with Ekurhuleni metro police, continue to monitor the area.

Community leaders call for calm

Amir Sheikh, chair of the African Diaspora Forum, urged both parties to remain calm and allow the police to investigate. He expressed condolences for the lives lost and for the injured teenager.

“The loss of any life is tragic and the teenager shot is deeply concerning. Our condolences go to the grieving family, the family of the child and the community,” Sheikh said.

Sheikh also said that if private security used lethal force, it raised questions the police must investigate, including the legality of the security firm, firearm possession and the circumstances of the shooting. He said no business interest justifies unlawful lethal force, nor could community grievances justify retaliatory violence.

Risk of wider unrest

Sheikh warned that recent developments could escalate tensions in areas where emotions run high around economic and migration issues. He said incidents like these could damage efforts made through community dialogue, policing and integration, and stressed that residents should let police investigate and not take the law into their own hands.

Editor notes on revisions

• Removed the sentence claiming “community members report further fatalities”: not supported by the source; only the shooting of a teenager and the reported killing of a local school teacher are mentioned in The Citizen.
• Changed generic “Police say a 15‑year‑old was wounded” to “Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said a 15‑year‑old was wounded”: aligns attribution with the named police spokesperson used in The Citizen.
• Replaced other generic attributions with explicit references to The Citizen or to named spokespeople where that attribution appeared in the source.
• Retained references to alleged suspects and incidents only where they were explicitly reported by The Citizen; removed or reworded any unverifiable or speculative details from the draft.