Overview of the Security Situation in South Africa in June
Researcher No. 006
According to the monitoring report of the security officer of Hanwei International stationed in South Africa and related media reports, Hanwei International analyzed that this month, South Africa is facing a severe situation in terms of politics, economy, social security and natural disasters. The accompanying criminal activities have further exacerbated security risks. In terms of politics and economy, protests have broken out in many parts of South Africa. Gauteng Province is facing a water supply crisis. The government is cracking down on illegal employment, reflecting that South Africa is facing many challenges in social governance, people's livelihood and employment security. In terms of social security risks, issues such as shootings, kidnappings and human trafficking are prominent, and overseas Chinese are frequently attacked. In terms of natural disasters, South Africa has declared a state of national disaster, but criminal activities have been "following closely".
I. Political and economic aspects
(1) Protests occur frequently, with conflicts, riots and boycotts running in parallel
On June 16th local time, a Youth Day commemoration event was held at Rag Farm Stadium of Northwestern University in South Africa. On that day, young people from the local informal residential areas walked to the event site, hoping to reflect the current unemployment and poverty predicament they were facing to the government by participating in the event. However, about one kilometer away from the stadium, the police force fired rubber bullets at the crowd, causing at least 67 people to be injured. Some of the injured were even threatened by the police with "no medical treatment, or arrest". The police responded to the young people's survival demands with bullets, which aroused strong dissatisfaction among the public and profoundly exposed the deep-rooted contradictions in South Africa such as class segregation and the neglect of the basic survival demands of the people.
Since the evening of June 19th, Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa (also known as Tswane), has been in constant turmoil. As the ruling African National Congress (ANC) nominated women from other provinces and tribes as candidates for the next mayoral election, local residents expressed strong dissatisfaction through violent means, triggering riots in several towns.
(2) The water supply Crisis behind South Africa's planned maintenance
This month, Gauteng Province has fallen into a "water crisis" due to multiple rounds of maintenance of water supply facilities. Starting from June 2nd, Land Water Company launched a 107-hour pipeline maintenance project. As a result, multiple municipal areas in Gauten Province were completely cut off from water supply. Seven districts including Pretoria and Ikurureni were severely affected. Local residents were urgently seeking emergency water supply points on social media.
Among them, multiple areas in Johannesburg, the provincial capital, have experienced prolonged water supply disruptions. The second round of water maintenance may limit water supply for 10 hours. This maintenance aims to clean and inspect the structure of Reservoir No. 1. The water supply capacity of the pumping station has temporarily dropped to 67%, and highland users are facing the risk of reduced or even interrupted water supply. Since June 24th, Johannesburg has been facing a new round of large-scale water supply system upgrade and water meter replacement projects. Some areas are about to experience a 14-hour water supply interruption, which will seriously affect the quality of life of local residents and may even lead to violent conflicts due to the scramble for water resources. Large-scale maintenance work will be launched again from June 30th to July 21st.
(3) Crack down on the chaos of illegal employment and ensure local employment
From the end of May to this month, the government of Kwazulu-Natal Province in South Africa has successively carried out law enforcement raids on textile factories and logistics companies, and has dealt with more than 300 illegal immigrant workers and enterprise executives in total, in order to warn Chinese employers in South Africa to employ workers legally.
On May 29th, the provincial government, in collaboration with the police, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Labor, conducted a surprise inspection of a textile factory that had been in operation for 25 years. More than 300 undocumented migrant workers were found on the spot. On June 20th, a surprise inspection of a logistics company in Durban found 16 unlicensed immigrant drivers. Among them, the involved executives were prosecuted for violating the Labor Law, and the undocumented migrant workers were either put on judicial trial or directly deported.
Ii. Regarding social security risks
The crime data for the fiscal year 2024/25 released by the South African Police Department in May this year shows that although the national murder rate has slightly declined, the crime rates of rape, commercial fraud and other crimes have continued to rise, with an average of over 60 people dying from violent crimes every day. Kidnapping and robbery incidents occur frequently in major cities such as Johannesburg and Cape Town, and people's sense of security is constantly declining.
(1) Shooting incident
This month, multiple violent shooting incidents broke out in South Africa, including assassinations of political figures, serial assassinations by gangs, street shootings and murders in shopping malls, resulting in at least 8 deaths and 7 injuries.
On May 31, South African member of Parliament and Deputy whip of the Liberal Party, Sisole, was shot dead by three unknown suspects while attending a private meeting in eastern Johannesburg. Two others were injured. This "assassination" may be related to party competition and local power struggles, and the political struggle has escalated to a violent level. On June 8th, a couple were shot dead at a shopping center in Rustenburg, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The police arrested the 41-year-old gunman and seized the handgun. On June 9th, the former mayor of Stellenbois, Western Cape Province, South Africa, Kindra, was shot dead in the Kayamandi community, further exposing the security risks faced by grassroots political figures. Andre Naude, a key defendant in the 2017 "Steroid King" Brian Weinstein murder case, was attacked and killed by an unknown gunman on the streets of Cape Town, and his bodyguards were injured. Five defendants in this case have been assassinated one after another, highlighting that the power of the gang has turned into an open armed conflict. From June 15th to 16th, two vicious shooting incidents occurred successively in Cape Town: On the evening of the 15th, an unknown gunman broke into the Better Life community of Philippi East and fired, resulting in 3 deaths and 1 serious injury. On the afternoon of the 16th, residents of the informal residential area of Siyajlala in Nyanga were attacked, resulting in one death and four injuries.
(2) Kidnapping incidents
This month, the police chief of Gauteng Province released the crime statistics for the first quarter of 2025, showing a sharp increase in kidnapping cases. At the national level, kidnapping cases in South Africa rose by 6.8% year-on-year in the first quarter, and in Gauteng Province, they soared by 15.8% year-on-year. Some areas have become severely affected, including JHB Central (63 cases), Vosloorus (63 cases), Moroka (53 cases), and other places. Electronic ride-hailing services have become a high-risk factor. A teacher in Soweto was kidnapped and eventually killed after taking a ride through an electronic ride-hailing service platform.
In the first half of 2025, kidnapping cases occurred frequently in Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape Province, among which many Chinese communities were severely impacted. According to relevant data from the Chinese Community Police Cooperation Center, at least six kidnapping cases have involved Chinese expatriates, and one person is still missing. Organized crimes targeting foreign businesspeople, including Chinese ones, have broken out in many places in South Africa. After long-term reconnaissance and "investigation", the suspects choose to carry out kidnappings and robberies during the victims' commuting routes, when they open or close stores, and then move to remote areas to demand ransom.
(3) Emergency for the safety of women and infants
Recently, the South African police are making every effort to investigate a criminal gang that specifically targets women. The gang's criminal activities span multiple provinces including Gauten, Free State, and the Northern Cape. They use chat software to lure seemingly "independent and confident" women. Once they successfully meet in person, they carry out kidnappings, robberies, and even murders. A 25-year-old woman, Oloratto Mongalle, mysteriously disappeared after a date with a mysterious man. Her body was eventually found in Lombadisi, Gauteng Province. The police appeal to all women, especially young ones, to remain vigilant and take adequate safety measures when making friends on social media or meeting in person.
On June 26th, the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health issued an urgent warning. Two public medical institutions in the province witnessed consecutive incidents of infant abduction. Although they were successfully rescued, it is still necessary to maintain a high level of vigilance. On May 12th, a mother handed over her one-month-old baby to a strange woman at the pediatric outpatient department of Alexandra Community Health Center. The woman then quickly picked up the baby and moved away from the community. On June 23rd, in the bathroom of Winnie Mandela's Clinic in Calfontaine, a new mother handed over her three-day-old baby to a strange woman for care, who then disappeared with the child in her arms.
Iii. Other aspects
（1) Heavy rain raged in the Eastern Cape Province, and the extreme weather led to a state of national disaster
This month, many areas in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa have been hit by extreme weather. The rainstorm warning has been raised to level nine, and many places are facing floods. Infrastructure such as transportation and power systems have been severely damaged, and the lives and property of residents have been seriously threatened.
Recently, South Africa has experienced a rather severe winter storm, with heavy rain and heavy snow wreak havoc. Among them, the Eastern Cape Province has been the most severely affected, and the local heavy rain warning has been raised to orange level 9. A minibus carrying students was unfortunately swept away by the flood, and only three students were rescued. Near East London, a taxi overturned, resulting in five deaths and two injuries. As of June 17th, the official death toll has risen to at least 92, with over 4,000 people displaced and public service institutions such as schools and hospitals severely damaged. On June 18th, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs of South Africa officially declared a state of national disaster across the country. Meanwhile, the South African Police Minister confirmed that against this backdrop of disaster, some illegal criminal activities are still ongoing, local disaster relief workers are under threat, and affected people are suffering from theft and other incidents.
Hanwei International suggests that Chinese-funded enterprises and individuals in South Africa should focus on the following precautions: First, closely monitor social trends and always be vigilant about safety. Keep an eye on the security alerts issued by the Consulate General in South Africa and local media in real time, be aware of the protest areas, and avoid going to high-risk locations such as gatherings and marches. Families should always stock up on drinking water and domestic water for 3 to 5 days and keep abreast of water outage plans at all times. Chinese citizens should obtain legal work visas for South Africa. Chinese enterprises are advised to improve their employment systems and keep complete employment records in case of surprise inspections. The second is to enhance safety awareness and measures. In response to the frequent violent attacks on overseas Chinese in recent times, it is suggested that all overseas Chinese keep a close eye on the notices issued by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in South Africa and enhance their awareness of safety precautions: be cautious when choosing business and property locations, and try to operate and live in communities with complete security facilities and a safe surrounding environment. Plan your time out reasonably and avoid going out when it gets dark. Currently, South Africa has entered winter. Please try to close your store before 5 p.m. to avoid the peak crime period at night. It is recommended to select capable overseas Chinese to hire qualified security companies and increase investment in human and technical security around the store and during commutes. Always keep an eye on disaster information and take good safety precautions. Keep abreast of the weather warnings issued by the local meteorological department in a timely manner. If you are in the disaster-stricken area or its vicinity, it is recommended to stay away from dangerous areas such as rivers and slopes. In low-lying areas, be prepared for evacuation and choose a safe refuge. In case of danger, call the South African emergency number 10111 or the emergency number 999 immediately, and contact the Chinese Embassy or consulate in South Africa for assistance.
