Five suspects, including one believed to be former President Nelson Mandela’s grandson, are set to appear in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on Friday, January 10. They face charges of possessing a hijacked vehicle and an unlicensed firearm following an incident at Mandela’s Houghton residence on Wednesday, January 8.
The arrest came after the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) Tactical Response Unit was tipped off by a vehicle tracking company about the location of a white Toyota Corolla that had been hijacked earlier on Louis Botha Avenue in Oaklands. According to JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla, officers entered Mandela’s property, where they recovered the stolen vehicle and detained five individuals—four men and one woman. A search of the premises also led to the discovery of an unlicensed firearm.
All five suspects, including the individual reportedly linked to Mandela’s family, were taken into custody at Norwood Police Station. The case has drawn significant attention, and their court appearance is expected to garner further public interest.