Gauteng Police Mobilize Special Units After ‘Barbaric’ Mass Shooting Kills 12 in Cleveland

Twelve people were killed and nine others wounded in a coordinated mass shooting late yesterday at the Jumpers informal settlement in Cleveland, east of Johannesburg.

Police have described the attack as one of the deadliest single incidents in Gauteng in recent years.

South African Police Service (SAPS) officers responded to reports of an active shooting shortly after 11:10 p.m. and found multiple victims with gunshot wounds across the densely populated area. Eight adult men and three adult women were declared dead at the scene, while a 12th male victim later died in hospital. The nine survivors, all suffering gunshot wounds, were treated at various Gauteng facilities.

Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni visited the scene on Wednesday morning and called the attack “insane and barbaric.” Provincial detectives, crime intelligence, and forensic teams are leading the investigation. No arrests have been made.

According to SAPS, more than 10 heavily armed suspects were dropped off by a white Toyota Quantum minibus near a petrol station in Cleveland. The assailants entered the settlement from multiple access points, moved systematically through the area, and opened fire at several locations before fleeing in the same vehicle. The coordinated nature of the assault has led investigators to treat it as a deliberate operation.

Jumpers informal settlement lies adjacent to disused and active mine shafts in an area long affected by illegal gold mining. Many residents and people operating in the vicinity are connected to or impacted by zama zamas – informal, often undocumented artisanal miners, mainly from Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. These operations frequently involve violent turf wars, extortion, and armed clashes between rival groups competing for remaining gold deposits.

While police have not yet confirmed a motive, the location has prompted speculation of a feud between rival zama zama factions or retaliation linked to recent enforcement actions against unlicensed mining. Johannesburg’s informal settlements often house both South African internal migrants and cross-border migrants seeking economic opportunities.

Police have appealed for public assistance and urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or use the anonymous MySAPS mobile app. The investigation remains ongoing.