South African police have made 13 arrests in Gauteng after a series of thefts, disturbances and violent protests during the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
The incidents occurred between November 22 and 23 as international delegates attended the event at the Nasrec Expo Centre.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi revealed the details during a post-summit media briefing, confirming that foreign delegates were targeted in several crimes.
Among the most notable was the theft of phones and luggage belonging to representatives from Vietnam at Sandton City Mall, resulting in four immediate arrests. Police also detained a suspect at the DaVinci Hotel for possessing a firearm without proper authorisation, and two others in Ferndale in connection with the theft of a police officer’s firearm and ammunition.
Lesufi said the arrests formed part of a wider crackdown in the days surrounding the summit, with 1,799 people detained across the province for offences ranging from vandalism to serious violent crime, including assault, rape and murder. He noted that more than 1,000 of those cases involved contact crimes.
Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni confirmed 14 G20-related cases were reported, with several suspects linked to multiple offences through police tracking operations, including arrests in Honeydew connected to the Sandton thefts. He said coordinated security plans, including Operation Shanela 2, allowed law enforcement to respond quickly and prevent major injuries.
Police also dealt with unrest near the summit venue, arresting two Operation Dudula members after a protest turned violent and a police officer was injured. Officers used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters demanding access to President Cyril Ramaphosa and visiting leaders. A case of public violence, assaulting a police officer and breaching a court order has since been opened.
