By Deborah Nnamdi
South African police are searching for a group of gunmen who opened fire in a bar near Pretoria on Friday night, killing five people and injuring three others.
The attack occurred around 10:30 p.m. in Olievenhoutbosch township, roughly 25 kilometers south of the capital.
According to police, about 10 unidentified assailants stormed the tavern and began shooting indiscriminately without saying a word. Three men and two women died at the scene. The motive remains unclear.
Mass shootings are tragically frequent in South Africa, where the murder rate exceeds 75 deaths per day. Firearms—both legal and illegal—are widely available, and violent crime is often driven by gang activity and alcohol abuse.
A national security report released this week warned that criminal groups are becoming increasingly armed and organized. It also highlighted the risk of growing vigilantism in communities overrun by gang violence.
In the 2023–2024 financial year, police recorded over 27,600 murders nationwide, with young Black men in urban areas making up the majority of victims.
