South Africa hit by second mass shooting in three weeks; nine killed

Johannesburg, Dec 21: Nine people were killed and at least 10 others injured after gunmen opened fire at a pub in South Africa during the early hours of Sunday, authorities said.

The shooting occurred shortly before 1 am at the KwaNoxolo tavern in the Tambo section of Bekkersdal township, about 46 km west of Johannesburg. It marks the second mass shooting in the country within three weeks.

According to police, around 12 unidentified suspects arrived at the tavern in a white minibus and a silver sedan and opened fire on patrons. The gunmen continued shooting indiscriminately as they fled the scene, with some victims being shot in nearby streets.

“Some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen,” police said. Nine people died in the attack, while 10 others were taken to hospital with gunshot injuries.

Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner Maj Gen Fred Kekana told SABC television that one of the deceased was an online car-hailing service driver who had been outside the pub at the time of the shooting.

A manhunt has been launched by the Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations unit, in coordination with the Crime Detection Tracing Unit, to track down the suspects.

South Africa has witnessed several mass shootings at taverns—often referred to locally as shebeens—in recent years. Earlier this month, at least 12 people were killed and 13 injured in a shooting at an unlicensed bar near the capital. In 2022, 16 people were killed in a mass shooting in Soweto, Johannesburg, while four others were killed in a separate bar shooting in another province on the same day.

With nearly 26,000 homicides recorded in 2024—an average of more than 70 per day—South Africa continues to have one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Firearms remain the leading cause of homicide deaths. Despite relatively strict gun control laws, authorities say a large number of murders are committed using illegal firearms.

PTI