{"id":308469,"date":"2026-05-23T09:40:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T07:40:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T09:40:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T07:40:47","slug":"police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/","title":{"rendered":"Police arrest suspect after brutal gang-related knife attack on young victim"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>REDDERSBURG <\/strong>&#8211; The Free State police have arrested a man (22) from Reddersburg in connection with a brutal gang-related knife attack on an 18-year-old victim. Police said the victim was currently admitted to a Free State hospital in critical condition, adding that he was reportedly attacked during a clash involving members of two rival gangs in the town, 60 km south of Bloemfontein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The gang attack reportedly occurred on Wednesday, 20 May at about 16:00 and the suspect was arrested a day after the incident. It is believed that the suspect is a member of one of the two opposing gangs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lt Col Thabo Covane, provincial spokesperson for the Free State police, said the arrest was made following a tracing operation by members of the Provincial Anti-Gang Unit and Reddersburg Detectives. He said a preliminary investigation established that the suspect allegedly attacked the victim with a knife when the victim attempted to intervene in a fight involving members of the rival gangs &#8211; the BTK gang (commonly known as &#8220;8&#8221;) and the Maroma gang (known as &#8220;7&#8221;).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Covane said the victim was a bystander and was not affiliated with either gang. &#8220;He bravely attempted to intervene and de-escalate the fight. Tragically, the gang turned on the victim, stabbing him three times in his back. He was hospitalised in a very critical condition,&#8221; said Covane. He said the suspect was expected to appear in the Reddersburg Magistrates Court on Monday, 25 May, facing a charge of attempted murder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An 18-year-old man has been admitted to a Free State hospital in critical condition following a brutal knife attack involving two rival gangs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":308470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"author_byline":"","competition_end_date":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","language_version_url":"","post_language":"en","video_embed_url":"","scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,7996],"tags":[7911,8345,7874,7909,8272],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-308469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-top","tag-crime","tag-gang-violence","tag-local-news","tag-recommended","tag-saps"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Gang Attack Sparks Police Investigation in Reddesburg | BloemNews Express<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A 22-year-old has been arrested after a brutal gang attack in Reddesburg, leaving an 18-year-old victim in critical condition.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Police arrest suspect after brutal gang-related knife attack on young victim\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A 22-year-old has been arrested after a brutal gang attack in Reddesburg, leaving an 18-year-old victim in critical condition.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BloemNews Express\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-23T07:40:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SAPS-AGU.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"438\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"407\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Teboho Setena\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Teboho Setena\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Teboho Setena\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185\"},\"headline\":\"Police arrest suspect after brutal gang-related knife attack on young victim\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-23T07:40:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":251,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/SAPS-AGU.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Crime\",\"gang violence\",\"Local News\",\"Recommended\",\"SAPS\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"Top\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gang Attack Sparks Police Investigation in Reddesburg | BloemNews Express\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/SAPS-AGU.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-23T07:40:47+00:00\",\"description\":\"A 22-year-old has been arrested after a brutal gang attack in Reddesburg, leaving an 18-year-old victim in critical condition.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/SAPS-AGU.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/SAPS-AGU.jpg\",\"width\":438,\"height\":407,\"caption\":\"Brutal knife attack on an 18-year-old victim\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Police arrest suspect after brutal gang-related knife attack on young victim\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BloemNuus\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"BloemNuus\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/bloemnuus\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/bloemnuus\"],\"description\":\"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.\",\"email\":\"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"051-4047600\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185\",\"name\":\"Teboho Setena\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Teboho Setena\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/bloemnewsexpress\\\/author\\\/teboho-setena\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Gang Attack Sparks Police Investigation in Reddesburg | BloemNews Express","description":"A 22-year-old has been arrested after a brutal gang attack in Reddesburg, leaving an 18-year-old victim in critical condition.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Police arrest suspect after brutal gang-related knife attack on young victim","og_description":"A 22-year-old has been arrested after a brutal gang attack in Reddesburg, leaving an 18-year-old victim in critical condition.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/","og_site_name":"BloemNews Express","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","article_published_time":"2026-05-23T07:40:47+00:00","og_image":[{"width":438,"height":407,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SAPS-AGU.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Teboho Setena","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Teboho Setena","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/"},"author":{"name":"Teboho Setena","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185"},"headline":"Police arrest suspect after brutal gang-related knife attack on young victim","datePublished":"2026-05-23T07:40:47+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/"},"wordCount":251,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SAPS-AGU.jpg","keywords":["Crime","gang violence","Local News","Recommended","SAPS"],"articleSection":["News","Top"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/","name":"Gang Attack Sparks Police Investigation in Reddesburg | BloemNews Express","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SAPS-AGU.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-23T07:40:47+00:00","description":"A 22-year-old has been arrested after a brutal gang attack in Reddesburg, leaving an 18-year-old victim in critical condition.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SAPS-AGU.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SAPS-AGU.jpg","width":438,"height":407,"caption":"Brutal knife attack on an 18-year-old victim"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/police-arrest-suspect-after-brutal-gang-related-knife-attack-on-young-victim\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Police arrest suspect after brutal gang-related knife attack on young victim"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","name":"BloemNuus","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#organization","name":"BloemNuus","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/bloem-nuus-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"BloemNuus"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bloemnuus\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bloemnuus"],"description":"BloemNews is a prominent newspaper in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State province in South Africa. BloemNews serves the local community with coverage of regional news, events, and issues of interest. The newspaper provides updates on a variety of topics, including local politics, business, sports, and social matters, with a focus on the city and surrounding areas. Its publication is a reflection of Bloemfontein\u2019s vibrant community, catering to both English and Afrikaans-speaking readers. It also serves as an important platform for local advertising, businesses, and public announcements. In Bloemfontein, BloemNews is often considered a key source of information.","email":"bloemnuus@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"051-4047600","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/#\/schema\/person\/43a385fee12dd5baf7f0fb641c788185","name":"Teboho Setena","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/705eca244f2c0f567be098942fe4dcc28886568f851841c1128db4cfd7e7cb64?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Teboho Setena"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/author\/teboho-setena\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SAPS-AGU.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":308627,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/bystander-stabbed-in-reddersburg-gang-clash\/","url_meta":{"origin":308469,"position":0},"title":"Bystander stabbed in Reddersburg gang clash","author":"BloemNews Express","date":"29 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Police have arrested a man (22) from Reddersburg in connection with a brutal gang-related knife attack.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Crime&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Crime","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/crime\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Four people were killed and one hospitalised after a brazen shooting on the eastern Free State's R26 road","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":266720,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/three-arrested-after-fatal-stabbing-of-young-man-in-bloemfontein\/","url_meta":{"origin":308469,"position":1},"title":"Police bust three after fatal knife stabbing incident in Bloemfontein","author":"Teboho Setena","date":"20 July 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A prompt response by members of the Provincial Anti-Gang Unit Bloemfontein led to arrest of three suspects following a fatal stabbing of a man in Bloemfontein","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CRIME_SQUARE-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CRIME_SQUARE-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CRIME_SQUARE-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":304051,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/young-woman-survives-deadly-knife-attack-by-boyfriend\/","url_meta":{"origin":308469,"position":2},"title":"Young woman survives deadly knife attack by boyfriend","author":"Teboho Setena","date":"21 July 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"An argument between two lovers results in one being admitted to hospital for treatment, and the other facing criminal charges.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Domestic-violence-and-attempted-murder.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Domestic-violence-and-attempted-murder.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Domestic-violence-and-attempted-murder.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Domestic-violence-and-attempted-murder.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Domestic-violence-and-attempted-murder.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":307929,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/three-learners-arrested-after-the-theft-of-tablet-devices-and-a-burglary-at-a-local-school\/","url_meta":{"origin":308469,"position":3},"title":"Three learners\u00a0arrested\u00a0after the theft of tablet devices and a burglary at a local school","author":"Teboho Setena","date":"12 May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Reddersburg Police have arrested three learners in connection with the burglary and theft of 19 Samsung tablets at a local primary school.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Four people were killed and one hospitalised after a brazen shooting on the eastern Free State's R26 road","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Police-crime-intelligence-4.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":297741,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/free-state-officials-leave-no-stone-unturned-in-fight-against-crime\/","url_meta":{"origin":308469,"position":4},"title":"Free State officials leave no stone unturned in fight against crime","author":"BloemNews","date":"6 March 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Along with the Free State crime statistics for the third quarter of 2025, the police revealed several heavy sentences for crimes committed.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Court&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Court","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/court\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Along with the Free State crime statistics for the third quarter of 2025, the police revealed several heavy sentences for crimes committed.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SAPS1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SAPS1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SAPS1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SAPS1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SAPS1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":303248,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/court-appearance-of-human-traffickers-in-reddersburg\/","url_meta":{"origin":308469,"position":5},"title":"Court appearance of human traffickers in Reddersburg","author":"Teboho Setena","date":"6 May 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Three men charged with human trafficking for exploiting a 14-year-old boy from Malawi reappear in court for bail application today.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/FS-Hawks-team.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/FS-Hawks-team.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/FS-Hawks-team.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"NovaNews","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=308469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/308469\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/308470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=308469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=308469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=308469"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=308469"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/bloemnewsexpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=308469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}