By Deborah Nnamdi
Nine people were killed and at least 10 others injured after gunmen opened fire at a tavern in the impoverished Bekkersdal township outside Johannesburg early Sunday, South African police said, marking the second deadly bar shooting in the country this month.
The attack occurred shortly before 1:00 a.m. at a tavern in the gold-mining community, about 40 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg. Police initially reported that 10 people had been killed but later revised the death toll to nine.
Deputy provincial police commissioner, Major General Fred Kekana, said most of the attackers were armed with pistols, while one carried an AK-47 rifle. Speaking from the scene, he said the assailants entered the tavern and opened fire indiscriminately on patrons without provocation.
According to police, three victims were killed inside the bar, while others were shot as they attempted to flee. The attackers continued shooting as they exited the premises and reportedly searched victims, stealing valuables including mobile phones. Among the dead was a driver for an online ride-hailing service who was passing by at the time of the attack.
Kekana described the incident as “pure criminality” and said police had launched a manhunt for the suspects, urging members of the public to provide any information that could aid the investigation.
The shooting follows a similar attack on December 6 at a tavern near Pretoria, where 12 people, including a three-year-old child, were killed. That tavern was reportedly an unlicensed outlet located in a migrant workers’ hostel in Saulsville township. Victims in that incident included children aged three, 12, and 16.
South Africa continues to grapple with a high rate of violent crime, much of it driven by organized criminal networks and gangs. The widespread availability of both legal and illegal firearms has contributed to frequent shootings, often linked to gang rivalry and competition among informal businesses.
The country has also been shaken by a string of other high-profile killings in recent weeks. These include the daylight shooting of former radio presenter DJ Warras in central Johannesburg on December 16, and the murder of Marius Van der Merwe, a witness in a corruption inquiry, who was shot dead in front of his family on December 5.
Police statistics show South Africa has one of the highest murder rates globally, with an average of 63 people killed each day between April and September. In one of the deadliest mass shootings in recent months, 18 relatives were killed at a rural homestead in the Eastern Cape in September 2024.
AFP
