By Staff Reporter
POLOKWANE-A 32-year-old man suspected of involvement in the Saulsville mass shooting that claimed the lives of 12 people, including three minors, has been arrested in Limpopo in possession of an unlicensed firearm believed to have been used in the attack.
The Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations team confirmed that the suspect was arrested on 21 December 2025 in Limpopo in connection with 12 counts of murder and 13 counts of attempted murder stemming from the incident in Atteridgeville.
According to police, a multidisciplinary team comprising various SAPS specialised units, including Crime Intelligence, traced the suspect during ongoing investigations.
The team established that the suspect was travelling to Botlokwa in Limpopo and immediately alerted Limpopo police, providing a description of both the suspect and the vehicle he was using.
The suspect was intercepted by the Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 road within the Westenburg policing precinct. During the arrest, police recovered an unlicensed handgun believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis.
The suspect is expected to appear before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 22 December 2025, on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
He will thereafter be transferred to Gauteng, where he is expected to face additional charges related to the mass shooting. Police confirmed that the manhunt for the remaining two suspects is continuing.
The deadly shooting occurred on 6 December 2025 when three suspects allegedly opened fire at an illegal shebeen operating from a hostel room in Saulsville, killing 12 people and injuring 13 others. Investigators have since been working around the clock to track down those responsible.
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, commended the collaboration between Gauteng and Limpopo police.
“We are thankful that one of the suspects has been arrested. We are confident that the remaining two suspects will also be apprehended so that they can answer for the heinous crimes they have committed,” said Lt Gen Mthombeni
