• Three suspected house robbers were shot dead and one arrested after a high-speed chase and shootout near Sandton.

• Gauteng police are now copying KwaZulu-Natal top cop Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s hardline shoot-to-kill approach to take down dangerous gangs.

KwaZulu-Natal’s top cop, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has become known for his shoot-to-kill stance against criminals, and now Gauteng police are following his lead.

This week, Gauteng officers gunned down three suspected house robbers and arrested several others in a series of high-stakes highway takedowns across Johannesburg and Tshwane.

The first operation played out on Thursday morning along the busy N1 highway near Rivonia. Officers intercepted a silver Toyota after receiving intel about a gang involved in house robberies in Randburg.

A high-speed chase ended in a shootout. Three suspects were shot dead, and one was arrested on the spot. Police seized two illegal guns, ammo, stolen items and the gang’s getaway car. The suspects had just robbed a home where they held the owner at gunpoint and stole valuables, including a car.

Police say the gang may be linked to other robberies across the province.

In another operation in Tshwane, five cash-in-transit suspects were caught after a wild chase and shootout on the N12. The gang had smashed into a security van in Ekangala with a BMW, bombed the van, grabbed the cash and fled in multiple cars.

Police spotted two of the getaway cars, a silver Mercedes-Benz and a silver Mazda, and gave chase. The suspects opened fire. One car crashed, and the suspects fled into a mielie field. Officers and private security chased them down and caught five men.

The suspects, aged 35 to 50, were already out on bail for other cash heists in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. They now face charges of robbery, attempted murder and illegal possession of ammunition.

Over 100 rounds of ammo were recovered. At least six more gang members are still on the run.

In a third incident, police arrested three suspects who hijacked a truck driver on the N3. Officers chased them into Driehook and made the arrest.

Between 1 April 2023 and 31 December 2024, police in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) shot and killed a total of 292 suspected criminals, 187 between April 2023 and March 2024, and 105 in 38 shootouts from April to December 2024.

As of June 5, 2025, police in Gauteng province have been involved in multiple fatal incidents resulting in the deaths of at least 15 suspected criminals during law enforcement operations since January 1, 2025.

Pictured above: The highway where the suspects were shot.

Image source: Supplied