Jumpers shooting death toll climbs to 13: The devastated families left behind

The death toll of the mass shooting at Jumpers informal settlement in Cleveland, Johannesburg, on 9 June 2026 has risen to 13 after a 43-year-old woman died from her injuries in hospital in Carletonville this week.

The motive for the mass shooting is unknown, although some in the area speculate that it’s linked to illegal mining syndicates. Daily Maverick located some of the victims’ families and was able to identify some of the 13 victims, listed below.

Their traumatised families are trying to come to terms with their sudden losses, while trying to retrieve and, in some cases, repatriate bodies, all while fearing further violence.

WHAT HAPPENED

An hour of terror: what happened when 10 gunmen entered a Joburg settlement, killing 12

June 10, 2026

Melusi Mthembu (40) South African

Melusi Mthembu was shot in the head at a local tavern and died on the spot. The 40-year-old South African’s family had been staying in Jumpers since 2010.

“We have not felt safe since the incident happened,” said his younger brother, Sifiso Mzwandile Mthembu. “This has been a mourning moment for the entire family.”

Sifiso arrived at the scene of the mass shooting and found his brother lying in the tavern. The deceased’s body is at the Hillbrow Forensic Pathology Services.

“We have no money, that is why he is still at the mortuary,” he said, appealing for any kind of assistance.

“It’s been a traumatic experience and we cannot even sleep at night,” Sifiso continued.

“Everyone is just anxious about what is going to happen next because the killers said they would be back.”

“What they did to our brother is very painful,”

Mthembu said the family had not received any form of support, including counselling. “We are relying on one another as a family and also the community, who have also been very supportive.”

Asked if the presence of the police in the area made them feel safe, Sifiso responded: “It’s tenuous. They can patrol and then they will leave.”

Mthembu’s cousin, Bonginkosi Mthembu, said, “Melusi was a loving person. I lived with him in the area. He had good relations with everyone and people loved him for his sense of calm and respect for other community members.”

Hillary Ndoro (32) Zimbabwean

Patience Garande became aware of her brother’s death between 9pm and 10pm.

“At the time, I was worried about children who were not back in the house.”

“I’d left the house to look for the children when I came across the police who asked me where I was going,” she said. “I told them I was going to look for the children and couldn’t find them.”

“That is when the police told me that there was another person lying on the ground. When I came closer, I saw my brother’s body by his doorstep, as he met his death on his return from work. He was about to walk into his shack when he met them,” she said.

Hillary Ndoro, 32, was shot in the head. His body is still at Hillbrow Forensic Pathology Services.

“We have been here since the settlement was established,” said his sister.

“It’s the most painful thing. I don’t even know where to start,” she said. “Even when you look for an explanation [for] what happened, we can’t find any answers because the attack happened at night during bedtime.”

“We have been trying to transport his body home,” Garande said. “But we do not have anything at the moment.”

“There is a funeral parlour from back home in Zimbabwe that is willing to chip in with a bit of help,” said Garande.

“We are still scared. We are still traumatised. We are deeply hurt.”

Matsinhe Matsimbe and Matilda Matsimbe, Mozambican (ages not established)

Matilda Matsimbe operated a tavern in Jumpers where her younger relative, Matsinhe, helped out. When the gunmen struck, the Matsimbes were warming themselves around a fire.

“They were lying next to each other near the bench together with another victim,” said Alexandra Matsimbe, a relative of the two deceased.

Matilda was shot in the head, while Matsinhe was shot in the stomach.

The family is from Inhambane in Mozambique, and Alexandra said of relatives back home: “They were not okay at all, but they said they do understand that accidents do happen, but not such brutal murders.”

“Their deaths came as a shock to me, especially because I had spoken to Matilda two hours before we got the call that they had died,” Alexandra said.

The family is trying to arrange to transport their bodies back to Mozambique. Another relative, Eric Langa, said, “I don’t feel safe. I just want to help organise the transportation of their bodies home, then disappear.”

Alexandra said, “We are trying to see what we can put together and take them home because the accident caught us by surprise, as we had no money.”

Jone Paulo Mussadaro (25) Mozambican

Daily Maverick was unable to establish the details of 25-year-old Jone Paulo Mussadaro’s death, and that of fellow Mozambican Joao Jeremia Manuel (21).

Richard Simango, a family representative for two of the victims, said he was sent by the Mussadaro and Manuel families to establish what really happened and help find out what the next steps would be.

“The family sent me here because I am the direct contact and also because we are all from Mozambique. We know one another from back home,” he said.

He couldn’t share many details about the deaths, but said, “The family understands that accidents do happen. All they are requesting is assistance. They just want to take their bodies back home for burial.”

Joao Jeremia Manuel (21) Mozambican

Simango said the family of Joao Jeremia Manuel “is still making sense of what happened because he was still young”.

Manuel’s friend, who asked to remain anonymous, said he found him lying on the ground.

“I could not immediately see where he was injured because of the amount of blood,” he said.

He described Manuel as a quiet and generous person. “He loved everyone around him and always had a smile on his face,” he said.

List of the deceased whose
identities are established:

Anele Mayeza, South African

Hillary Ndoro, Zimbabwean

Jone Paulo Mussadaro, Mozambican

Joao Jeremia Manuel, Mozambican

Melusi Mthembu, South African

Matilda Matsimbe, Mozambican

Matsinhe Matsimbe, Mozambican

Daily Maverick established that three other victims were from South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe, respectively, but we could not confirm their full names. We were unable to find any details about two of the victims.

According to community members, the latest victim, the 43-year-old woman who died from her injuries this week, is understood to be from Lesotho.

JOBURG MASSACRE

After mass shooting, Cleveland residents fear what will happen when SAPS leaves

June 11, 2026

Ongoing trauma

Many Jumpers residents who have spoken to Daily Maverick since the massacre, including the families of the deceased, said they were traumatised by what they saw. They said they were relying on one another and the community at large for support.

“Some community members told us that the children jump awake at night as a result,” said community leader Angela Mopai, who, alongside her colleagues, had been assisting the victims’ families.

“Counselling sessions are expected to kick off at the Cleveland Police Station from 10am on Wednesday,” Mopai said.

The SAPS said no arrests had been made. DM

Community leaders are available to assist those looking for information on relatives in Jumpers informal settlement. To connect with them, email Daily Maverick here.

Additional reporting by Salim Nkosi.