After days of mounting tension and fear in Ipelegeng near Schweizer-Reneke, police have made a significant breakthrough in addressing the recent wave of gang-related violence that has gripped the community. Working through the night, law enforcement officers effected the arrest of three suspects linked to serious crimes.
According to police, a 30-year-old suspect was arrested and is facing four charges, including two counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH), malicious damage to property, and murder. In a separate incident, two other suspects aged 26 and 28 were apprehended in connection with a house robbery.
All three suspects appeared in the Schweizer-Reneke Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 23 May 2025.
These arrests follow a week of chaos in the township, sparked by violent clashes between two rival groups known as the TRT gang, operating from Ahmed Kathrada Section, and the Hawks Patrollers from Extension 8. The violence reached a deadly peak on Tuesday night, 20 May 2025, when a 19-year-old male was found fatally stabbed along the road.
In response, the Acting Provincial Commissioner of North West, Major General Patrick Asaneng, deployed specialised police units, including the Public Order Policing Unit, Anti-Gang Unit, Tactical Response Team (TRT), Mounted Unit and K9, to stabilise the situation.
Asaneng also activated the Joint Operational Command Centre (JOC) to coordinate efforts between police, local councillors, community forums, government departments, and taxi associations, to ensure a return to normalcy.
“The police will remain in the area until calm is fully restored and those responsible are brought to justice,” said Major General Asaneng. He further issued a warning to instigators of violence that they will be tracked and arrested.
The recent unrest disrupted daily life in Ipelegeng, with schools being temporarily closed on Wednesday as a precaution. However, following police intervention and increased patrols, teaching resumed on Thursday, 22 May 2025, across affected schools.
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Updated: 2 June 2025 Monday
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