Incident Details
A shooting occurred at a pub in the Bekkersdal township, located 46 kilometers west of Johannesburg, during the early hours of Sunday. The incident, which took place just before 1 a.m., resulted in nine fatalities and at least 10 injuries.
Approximately 12 unidentified individuals, traveling in a white mini-bus and a silver sedan, opened fire on patrons at KwaNoxolo tavern in the Tambo section of Bekkersdal. Shots were also reportedly fired at individuals in the streets as the suspects departed the scene. One of the deceased was identified as a driver for an online car-hailing service, who was outside the establishment at the time of the shooting.
Police Response
The Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations unit, in collaboration with the Crime Detection Tracing Unit, has initiated a manhunt for the suspects involved in the shooting.
Broader Context
This event marks the second mass shooting in South Africa within a three-week period. Previous incidents include:
- An earlier mass shooting this month at an unlicensed bar near the South African capital, which resulted in at least 12 deaths and 13 injuries.
- A 2022 incident in the Johannesburg township of Soweto, where 16 people were killed. On the same day, four additional fatalities occurred in a bar shooting in a different province.
South Africa recorded nearly 26,000 homicides in 2024, averaging over 70 per day. Firearms are the primary cause of death in these homicides. Despite the nation's relatively stringent gun control laws, authorities report that a significant number of murders are committed using illegal firearms.