PRETORIA – Police have launched a manhunt following an armed robbery at the home of former Cabinet minister Dr. Naledi Pandor on Friday evening.

The incident occurred when suspects allegedly held occupants at gunpoint before ransacking the property and fleeing with valuables.

Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane has called for a manhunt, with police working around the clock to trace and apprehend those responsible.

The District Commissioner of Tshwane, Major General Samuel Thine, will visit the family to provide an update on the progress of investigations as well as ongoing policing interventions aimed at combating housebreaking and property-related crimes, according to a statement issued by the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Dr. Pandor is a prominent South African academic, educator and veteran politician. She served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the African National Congress (ANC) from 1994 to 2024. She became a member of the national cabinet in 2004 as minister of education, a position she held under presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe. She was appointed minister of science and technology in 2009, followed by minister of home affairs in 2012. She returned to the science and technology portfolio from 2014 to 2018, before becoming minister of higher education and training in 2018 and minister of international relations and cooperation from 2019 to 2024.

In January this year, she was appointed as the fourth chancellor of Nelson Mandela University, with effect from 1 April 2026. Her inauguration into the role took place on 8 April. She has also been the chair of the board of trustees of the Nelson Mandela Foundation since 1 October 2024.

Most recently, Dr. Pandor was a guest speaker at the Critical Conversation series hosted by Regent Business School in Cape Town on 8 May, where she called on South African citizens and communities to develop civic action and hold government accountable on issues requiring urgent attention.