By REGINALD KANYANE
22 September 2026 – The police have arrested 17 270 suspects for various offences during Operation Shanela II between 14 and 20 September 2026, including two suspected serial rapists in KwaZulu-Natal. The operation comes as police intensify efforts to protect women, children and other vulnerable persons following the recent murders of nine women in Ekurhuleni.
The national police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk said the arrests demonstrate the continued focus on serious and violent crimes. Van Wyk said Operation Shanela II continues to demonstrate the SAPS’s commitment to pursuing perpetrators of serious and violent crimes and bringing them before the courts.
“The first suspected serial rapist (46), was arrested on 17 September 2026, by detectives attached to the KwaZulu-Natal Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation and Investigative Psychology Unit. The police said he is linked to a series of alleged rapes committed between 2014 and 2025.
“He is allegedly linked to 14 cases in Cato Manor, one in Plessislaer and another in Taylor’s Halt. A second suspect (36), was arrested in Nongoma on 20 September 2026, by investigators from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. He is allegedly linked to the rape of 14 women in the Zululand District and Gauteng Province,” she said.
Van Wyk further said the police also arrested 188 alleged rape suspects across the country during the week, bringing the total number of rape suspects arrested over the past 14 days to 352. She added that detectives traced 1 936 wanted suspects through intelligence-driven and targeted operations.
“Other arrests included 143 murder suspects, 1499 suspects for assault with intent to cause Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH), 690 for possession of dangerous weapons, 82 for possession of unlicensed firearms and 1 286 for possession of drugs.
“The police further arrested 2 422 suspects for contraventions of the Immigration Act and 748 suspects for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. During the operations, the police seized 135 unlicensed firearms, 1 110 rounds of ammunition, 1 099 dangerous weapons and 62 stolen or hijacked vehicles,” said van Wyk.
She said the operations also resulted in several significant breakthroughs across the provinces. Van Wyk said in Gauteng, three suspects — one man and two women — were arrested in connection with the murder of the ninth woman in a series of murder cases currently under investigation.
“In the Eastern Cape, two suspects were linked to an attempted murder investigation in Missionvale, while two suspects were arrested and three fatally wounded following the murder of two police officers in Libode.
“In other provincial successes included the arrest of a man in the Free State for possession of explosives, the seizure of suspected cocaine worth an estimated R300 million in Gauteng, an arrest linked to the alleged rape of a girl (9) in Limpopo, and the arrest of 38 suspects during an illegal mining operation in Mpumalanga,” she said.
Van Wyk said in the North West, the police recovered 61 livestock, comprising 46 goats and 15 sheep, following a stock theft incident in Pudimoe. She said in the Western Cape, nine suspects were arrested during intelligence-driven operations targeting drug-related crimes in Oudtshoorn.
“We will continue with intelligence-driven and targeted operations to disrupt criminal activities and ensure that those who commit serious offences are brought before the courts,” said van Wyk.
The Guardian 