Gauteng police arrest five suspects believed to be behind the recent murders in Westbury
Police in Gauteng have arrested five men who are suspected to be responsible for the recent murders in Westbury, including that of a police officer.
The suspects who are aged between 20 and 34 were arrested on Saturday, 14 October 2023, and Monday, 16 October 2023, in Sophiatown, Naturena and Soweto. The suspects are facing charges that include murder, attempted murder, rape and dealing in drugs.

The first two suspects were arrested in a joint operation conducted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) Organised Crime Investigation Unit, Police Emergency Services FLEXI, Johannesburg District Crime Intelligence Unit, Gauteng Anti-Gang Visible Policing Unit, Anti-Gang Investigation Unit and SAPS Sophiatown, on Saturday 14 October 2023.
Police received information from informers regarding the whereabouts of one of the suspects who were wanted in connection with the murder of a police officer. Upon arriving at the specific flat on Du Plessis Street, the police found the two (2) suspects in possession of a large quantity of mandrax tablets and cocaine (rock) drugs. Preliminary investigation revealed that the main suspect, who was wanted for the murder of the police officer, has a history of outstanding cases, including rape, contempt of court, and various other charges.
The second suspect, on the other hand, is wanted for rape and is currently facing a case related to possession of an unlicensed firearm.The tracing of wanted suspects continued on Monday, 16 October 2023, and information led the police to Naturena, where the suspect, who was wanted for murder and rape was found and arrested at his hiding place.
The team proceeded to a block of flats in Steidler Street, Westbury, where they arrested a suspect who was wanted for a murder that took place on 14 July 2023 in Westbury. The last suspect was found in Pimville, Soweto, where he was arrested. This suspect is believed to be responsible for the murder that took place at a hair salon in Westbury on 17 February 2023.
All suspects will be appearing before respective Magistrate’s Court in due course to face the allegations leveled against them.
The Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the police assigned to deal with lawlessness in Westbury and the surrounding areas.
The Provincial Commissioner also commended the utilisation of community based intelligence from law-abiding citizens who provided vital information, leading to the successful arrests of the suspects.
He urged the community to continue to be the eyes and ears of the police and to report any form of criminality to the nearest police station or by calling crime stop on 08600 10111.