Nine people were killed and 10 others injured in a shooting at a tavern early Sunday morning Bekkersdala mining community southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa.
According to the policeA group of armed men broke into the premises and opened fire indiscriminately on customersThis is the second such attack in the country in December.
The Gauteng Directorate of Serious and Violent Crime Investigations, together with the South African Crime Detection and Prosecution Unit, launched an operation to locate a dozen suspects linked to the Bekkersdal shooting.
A police statement said: “About twelve unknown suspects in a white van and a silver sedan opened fire on the tavern’s patrons and they continued firing indiscriminately while fleeing the scene.” The search for the attackers is still ongoing and authorities have asked for the community’s cooperation to advance the investigation.
The incident occurred just before 1:00 a.m. and although police initially reported ten deaths, the number was later revised to nine. The Major General Fred KekanaDeputy Commissioner of the Provincial Police, told the SABC television channel Most of the attackers carried pistols and one carried an AK-47 rifle..
“They broke into the tavern and shot the guests indiscriminately and without provocation.Kekana explained. Three victims died in the bar and the rest died trying to escape; the attackers continued shooting as they fled the scene.
Authorities reported that those responsible also stole victims’ belongings, including cellphones and valuables. Among the dead was a driver for an online transport service who was driving through the area.
“The police started searching for the attackers and asked citizens for cooperation,” added Kekana, who described the incident as “pure criminality.” The incident is reminiscent of the December 6 shooting at a tavern near Pretoria in which a dozen people were killed, including a three-year-old child.
South Africa, Africa’s most developed economy, faces one of the highest crime rates in the world, largely driven by organized gangs and criminal networks. The country is littered with firearms – legal and illegal – and shootouts are common, fueled largely by rivalry between gangs and competition for control of informal businesses.
In early December, an unlicensed tavern in a refugee center in the township of Saulsville, near Pretoria, was the scene of another tragedy: children aged three, twelve and 16 were among the dead.
Violence doesn’t just affect the pub environment. Last week South Africa was shocked by the murder of Warris Stock, known as DJ Warras, a former radio presenter and employee of a private security company. Stock, 40, was shot dead outside a building in central Johannesburg on December 16 during a work visit.
In another high-profile case, 41-year-old Marius Van der Merwe, a key witness in a corruption investigation, was shot dead in front of his family on December 5, just weeks after testifying against a city police chief. This crime brought the vulnerability of corruption whistleblowers to the forefront of the debate, an issue that also affects the public sector and government officials.
According to police statistics In South Africa there are an average of 63 murders every day between April and September, consolidating one of the highest murder rates on the planet.
In September 2024, the Eastern Cape province was the scene of one of the worst mass shootings in recent memory: 18 family members were murdered in their own home during a traditional ceremony. The victims, aged 14 to 64, included 15 women and several men were arrested as suspects following the tragedy.
(With information from EFE and AFP)
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