Three suspects aged between 20 and 38 were arrested by Mpumalanga SAPS cold case investigators on 5 September 2026 in connection with a series of ATM bombings across six towns in the province. The suspects are expected to appear in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 7 September 2026, facing charges linked to attacks in Leslie, eMbalenhle, Bethal, Witbank, Vosman, and Phola, according to SABC News.
The Ridge Times independently confirmed the arrests, reporting that the cold case team revisited and investigated previously unsolved ATM bombing cases in the Govan Mbeki municipal area and surrounding Witbank districts. Both outlets reported the same age range and the same scheduled court appearance, giving the core facts two-source corroboration.
The suspects aged between 20 and 38 were arrested for several cases related to ATM bombing in Leslie, Embalenhle, Bethal, Witbank, Vosman and Phola.
The suspects’ names have not been publicly released, and EB News Daily reported that SAPS had not yet published a full list of charges, the dates of the individual attacks, or the value of money allegedly taken. Whether the three suspects acted as part of a larger syndicate or whether additional arrests are expected also remains unconfirmed.
ATM bombings have been a persistent feature of organised crime in Mpumalanga, with SAPS previously reporting arrests linked to commercial explosives and coordinated attacks on bank infrastructure across multiple districts. The modus operandi — using explosives to breach ATMs, often targeting small towns with slower police response — has been documented in the province and elsewhere in South Africa over several years.
This story is confirmed on its core facts by two independent media outlets — SABC News and the Ridge Times — but no dated SAPS media release was available at the time of writing, and Cape Flats News has not independently verified the arrests with Mpumalanga police. Cape Flats News journalist Thabo Molefe will monitor the Evander Magistrate’s Court proceedings on 7 September 2026 for updated charges, bail outcomes, and any further SAPS statements.