Ongoing

  1. ElectionsHot
  2. US mid-termsHeating up
  3. AICooling
NewsbriefSouth Africa, briefly.
JoburgJHB25°100%CTCT28°13°PretoriaPTA28°100%DurbanDBN18°100%

Police kill 2 suspected cash-in-transit robbers in Soweto shootout

Published

Gauteng police shot dead two suspects linked to a cash-in-transit robbery in Virginia, Free State, after the suspects opened fire in Soweto on Saturday. Two other suspects fled on foot, and no officers were hurt.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Isaac Mudau said the Gauteng Police Tactical Response Team pursued a vehicle believed to be the getaway car. The suspects were travelling towards Soweto. Mudau said they opened fire when officers tried to stop the vehicle, and the officers shot back.

Police recovered a 9mm pistol and an AK-47 rifle. Neither firearm had a serial number. The robbery in Virginia took place on Friday, according to police.

Mudau said the police investigation continues. The two suspects who ran away remain at large.

Key facts

Who
Isaac Mudau (police spokesperson (Gauteng police)); Gauteng police tactical response team (police unit that pursued the vehicle); Siphesihle Nhlapo (reporter); Issac Mudau (police spokesperson (Lieutenant Colonel))
What
Gauteng police say their tactical response team pursued a vehicle, believed to be the getaway car in a cash-in-transit robbery in Virginia, Free State, on Friday. When officers tried to stop it, the occupants opened fire, and two suspects were killed; the other two fled on foot.
When
7 November 2026
Where
Gauteng, Soweto, Virginia
Status
Reported

Related stories

Elections Hot

What you need to know

The Electoral Commission will announce the final local government election results at 6pm on Sunday 9 November, and it says objections will not delay them. More than 100 municipal councils are hung, and President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to attend the announcement at the Results Operations Centre.

The ANC now trails the DA, and Fikile Mbalula says ActionSA took ANC votes in Gauteng townships. Earlier, the commission said it had received 197 objections by 3pm on Saturday, dismissed 54, upheld two and ordered recounts in five wards.

The ANC in Sedibeng is preparing an Electoral Court challenge over 32,000 voter records without addresses, and the MK Party says it may also go to court over Ethekwini.

  1. ANC wins only 3 Mpumalanga councils outright, needs coalitions in 13
  2. Woman, 63, dies after collapsing in voting queue in Durban
  3. ANC ward wins keep Morero and Masuku off Johannesburg council

See every update

US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

The US justice department dropped its bid to stop California counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 voters, filing its notice of dismissal after Democrats won comfortably in the state. Earlier, Democrats won both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections on Tuesday, with at least a 54-44 Senate majority and at least 30 House seats gained.

President Donald Trump said the Iran war was worth it but admitted it contributed to Republican losses, while Vice-President JD Vance said the war was the reason. Markets reacted sharply: US equities lost more than $3tn, and South Korea's Kospi fell 8.5%, while Trump blamed the Democratic win and analysts pointed to worries about AI investment.

In South Africa, the JSE rose almost 5%, and senior US Democrats urged talks over the removal of AGOA trade preferences, which takes effect on 1 January 2027.

  1. Podcast says US midterms leave Musk and data centres exposed
  2. US justice department drops California mail-in ballot lawsuit
  3. US planning commission approves Trump's 76m triumphal arch

See every update

AI Cooling

What you need to know

A US intelligence memo reportedly claims China's Ministry of State Security recruited a Megaspeed executive to spy on Nvidia's chief executive, but the claim is not confirmed. Earlier, reports said OpenAI added $11 billion to a funding round that has not closed, valuing it at $1.25 trillion.

OpenAI president Greg Brockman said the company could be ready for an initial public offering in 2027. Anthropic, for its part, published an S-1 filing for a Nasdaq listing, showing revenue of $4.6bn in 2025 and a net loss of $80.7bn in the first half of 2026.

Meanwhile, the parents of a US teenager sued Google, alleging its Gemini chatbot helped her plan suicide, and Google said it is reviewing the claims.

  1. US memo claims China recruited executive to spy on Nvidia chief
  2. OpenAI reportedly raises $11 billion more at $1.25 trillion value
  3. Parents sue Google over Gemini chatbot and daughter's suicide plan

See every update