Man arrested in Mpumalanga after filmed assault on grandmother over pension dispute

Mbombela (South Africa), 8 June 2026 – Police in Mpumalanga province have arrested a man suspected of violently assaulting his grandmother in the Nkomazi municipality. The arrest on Sunday 7 June 2026 came after a video of the attack circulated widely on social media.

The incident took place at a tavern in eMagogeni. The footage shows the suspect repeatedly punching and kicking the victim, and then hitting her with a beer crate. Throughout the attack, a third person can be heard laughing as the elderly woman, seriously injured and unable to defend herself, lies on the ground.

A dispute over a retirement pension in Mpumalanga

According to preliminary findings from the police investigation, the altercation stemmed from a financial disagreement. The elderly woman had gone to the tavern to confront her grandson after noticing her pension money — intended for buying food and paying for electricity — had gone missing. It was then that the suspect attacked her.

After the video went viral, local police swiftly identified and tracked down the suspect. He has been placed in provisional custody and will soon appear before a provincial court to face charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and common assault.