SAPS Arrests 8 896 Foreign Nationals in 14 Days During Immigration Crackdown

• SAPS arrested 8 896 foreign nationals across South Africa in two weeks for contravening the Immigration Act
• A joint operation at Losberg Kloof Mine in Westonaria saw 217 suspects arrested, while nine undocumented workers were found at a Free State biscuit factory
• Authorities are also investigating the murder of March and March Gauteng leader Andile Mvuyiselwa Somgaxa, who was shot outside his Johannesburg home

SOUTH AFRICA - The South African Police Service has arrested 8 896 foreign nationals in just 14 days as part of a sweeping immigration enforcement operation conducted in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority, and several other government departments.

SAPS confirmed that among those arrested, some face additional charges linked to serious and violent crimes, including murder, rape, and possession of unlicensed firearms.

Mine raid and factory bust

One of the more prominent operations took place on 7 July 2026 at Losberg Kloof Mine in Westonaria, where police, backed by the South African National Defence Force, arrested 217 suspects. The raid was directed at illegal mining activities and associated criminal offences in the area.

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Separately, on 3 July 2026, intelligence-driven policing led officers to a biscuit manufacturing factory in Reitz, Free State, where nine undocumented foreign nationals were taken into custody. The suspects remain in detention while immigration verification is conducted. Authorities have engaged the municipality, and the factory is facing closure pending the outcome of investigations. The owner may also face further action for alleged non-compliance with immigration laws.

Across the broader two-week period, operations nationwide resulted in the arrest of more than 800 additional undocumented foreign nationals, underscoring the scale and reach of the enforcement drive.

See post from SAPS here:

Gauteng leader shot dead

In a separate but related development, a multidisciplinary investigative team has been appointed to probe the killing of March and March Gauteng leader Andile Mvuyiselwa Somgaxa. He was shot in the driveway of his home in Greenfield, Johannesburg, on 4 July 2026, and died from his injuries in hospital on 9 July 2026. No further details about suspects or a motive have been confirmed at this stage.

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The crackdown forms part of SAPS's stated zero-tolerance stance on both illegal immigration and violent crime, with authorities signalling that joint enforcement operations will continue.

Police Minister sends message to African countries

Briefly News reported that Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia delivered a pointed message to African nationals at a government press conference in Pretoria on Sunday, 12 July 2026. Speaking at the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, Cachalia addressed the situation in South Africa and claimed that citizens were xenophobic, amid calls for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.Cachalia said South Africans are proud of their identity and that there are other African nations fuly behind SA.

Source: Briefly News