13 Arrested Following G20 Summit

South Africa hosted its first G20 Leaders’ Summit over the past weekend in Johannesburg, gathering heads of state and representatives from the 20 member nations.

While the summit was largely considered a success, thirteen people were arrested in connection with events surrounding the meeting, including two known members of the political movement Operation Dudula.

The arrests followed fourteen reported incidents, including violent protests and thefts targeting delegates and journalists covering the event.

In a media briefing, Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi provided details on some of the incidents. Cell phones and luggage belonging to delegates representing Vietnam were stolen at the Checkers in Sandton City Mall, leading to the immediate arrest of four suspects.

In a separate incident at the DaVinci Hotel, one suspect was arrested for the unauthorized possession of a firearm. Furthermore, at the Mercure Hotel in Ferndale, police investigated the theft of a firearm from a member of the South African Police Service (SAPS), as well as charges related to the possession of ammunition and negligent loss of a firearm.

Premier Lesufi also noted that in the lead-up to the summit, between 17 and 20 November 2025, a total of 1 799 people were arrested across Gauteng for various offenses. The charges included vandalism and other serious crimes such as theft, kidnapping, intimidation, and extortion.

Lesufi added that 1 075 of these cases were for contact crimes, which included rape, murder, and attempted murder.

“You all know, South Africans being South Africans, there was no way that we would not have problems,” he commented.