The police in Mpumalanga have made a major breakthrough in the investigation of a brutal shooting in Grootvlei that left an off-duty police sergeant and a civilian dead last month.

Four men, aged between 19 and 32, have been arrested in connection with the 17 September 2025 shooting that claimed the lives of Sergeant Tshepo Mokoena and Frans Tsotetsi. Three other people were lucky to survive the attack.

The arrests followed a multidisciplinary, intelligence-driven operation carried out between 3 and 6 October in Orange Farm, Gauteng. The operation involved several specialised units, including Grootvlei Visible Policing, Detectives, Crime Intelligence, the Balfour Crime Prevention Unit, the Secunda Crime Intelligence Unit, and the National Intervention Unit (NIU).

During the operation, police recovered a white Toyota believed to have been used during the shootings.

Acting Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi, praised the coordinated efforts of the teams involved.