Mass Shooting Leaves Nine Dead, Ten Injured in South Africa
In a statement released Sunday, the South African Police Service (SAPS) revealed that "about 12 unknown suspects in a white [minibus] and a silver sedan opened fire at tavern patrons… just before 01:00."
The deadly attack unfolded in Bekkersdal, an unemployment-stricken township within Rand West City municipality, where gunfire erupted in the early morning hours, sending panicked patrons scrambling for safety.
Gauteng Acting Police Commissioner Major General Fred Kekana told local media that "we don't know the motive yet, but we are looking for a silver Toyota Etios and a white Toyota Quantum, which were used by the suspects."
Kekana, citing an eyewitness account, told media that at least nine of the suspects wielded pistols while another brandished an AK-47-type rifle. Following the brutal assault, the gunmen allegedly rifled through victims' belongings and took "their valuables, including cell phones."
The massacre represents the second major tavern shooting in Gauteng province within weeks. Earlier this month, a similar attack targeted an illegal drinking establishment, claiming 12 lives—including two minors—while leaving dozens of patrons with injuries.
Also in early December, a protected witness involved in a high-profile investigation into alleged police misconduct was assassinated outside his residence by unidentified hitmen, further highlighting the nation's escalating violence crisis.
South Africa has experienced a dramatic surge in gun violence and criminal activity in recent months. In September, Professor Eugene Cloete, chief executive of the Cape Higher Education Consortium, citing SAPS statistics, estimated that during the fourth quarter of the 2024/25 fiscal year, the average murder rate in South Africa exceeded 60 homicides per day.
The alarming figures underscore growing concerns about public safety and law enforcement capacity as violent crime continues plaguing communities across the country. Authorities have intensified calls for witnesses to come forward with information that could lead to arrests in Monday's tavern shooting.
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