Two suspects arrested minutes after Ackermans store robbery in Zandspruit, Johannesburg

Two suspects were arrested minutes after robbing an Ackermans store at Zandspruit Shopping Complex on Sunday, where they held staff and a security guard at gunpoint and stole cellphones and cash from the till.

The shopping complex is based in Zandspruit informal settlement, north of Johannesburg.

The incident occurred early in the morning. 

Eyewitnesses told IOL News they saw two suspects, believed to be men, forcing employees and a security officer at gunpoint.

“Two men entered Ackerman’s store holding firearms at the employees and the security guard and forced their way inside,” said resident Ellen Suping-Hlongwane.

The 67-year-old woman, who was at the shopping centre at the time, said she had gone there to buy groceries.

“Shortly after they entered the store, they came out running while holding the phones. They went into the street and fired about four shots as they were running away,” she said.

When IOL News arrived at the scene shortly after the incident near the corner of Beyers Naudé Drive and Marina Street, police vehicles were already stationed there. 

Officers were combing the area while another police vehicle was parked inside the shopping centre near the store.

A pair of sandals, believed to belong to one of the suspects, was found at the scene of the shooting.

Residents gathered in large numbers to witness the aftermath of the incident. 

However, no one was shot or injured during the shooting.

Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that officers responded to a business robbery in the area.

“The swift response of the police led to the arrest of two suspects minutes after they committed a robbery at a well-known store in Zandspruit Shopping Complex,” she said.

She added that the suspects held employees and a security officer at gunpoint, stole cellphones and cash from the till, and fled on foot.

“As they were running away, they encountered a police vehicle that was patrolling the area, and a shootout ensued,” she said.

Backup was called in, including a helicopter, and both suspects were apprehended.

“Two firearms were recovered from the suspects, along with the cellphones and cash believed to have been stolen,” she said.

She said no injuries were reported.

Gauteng provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni praised officers for their swift response and for maintaining visibility in public areas.

The suspects are expected to appear in the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court on Monday, April 13, 2026, on charges of business robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms.

Meanwhile, another resident, who refused to be named, said such incidents were not uncommon at the shopping centre.

“Robbers often target this shopping centre. It’s not just this store – others have been robbed before, including the petrol station,” the resident said.

“These incidents happen quickly, and as residents, we fear we could be caught in the middle of one,” the resident added.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL News