16/06/2026
EKSEE EYES 👁️ ON GROUND
ZIMBABWEAN NATIONAL SHOT, HOUSE LOOTED AND CAR SET ALIGHT DURING ILLEGAL MINING AND EXTORTION DISPUTE INCIDENTS IN ATOK
ATOK-A swift intelligence-driven operation by the Sekhukhune Tracking and Investigation Team has led to the arrest of a 46-year-old suspect following a wave of violent extortion disputes, a shooting, and arson attacks linked to illegal chrome mining at Jackalas Mountain in Bogalatladi, under the Atok policing area.
The violence erupted on Sunday, 14 June 2026, when a 22-year-old Zimbabwean national was shot and seriously injured at an illegal chrome mining site.
According to police reports, the victim and his brother were mining when they were confronted by three unknown men who demanded protection money to allow them to continue operating.
When the brothers refused to pay the extortion fee, an altercation ensued, and the 22-year-old was shot.
The dispute quickly triggered a series of retaliatory attacks and property destruction across the district:
A 33-year-old resident reported that a volatile group stormed his parental home. The attackers vandalised the property, looted household contents, and set both the house and a motor vehicle on fire, causing damage estimated at R137,000.
An 84-year-old woman was terrorised when a mob invaded her yard hunting for her son. The suspects damaged the property, dragged household items from the son's room into the yard, and set them alight, causing R60,000 worth of damage.
Following up on precise intelligence, tactical officers tracked the 46-year-old suspect to Malogeng New Stands later that Sunday. During the raid, police recovered an unlicensed firearm, a magazine, and live ammunition, which ballistic tests are expected to link directly to the shooting of the miner.
The suspect was immediately locked up and charged with attempted murder, as well as possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. He made his first appearance before the Sekhukhune Magistrate's Court today, Monday, 15 June 2026.
