Gunmen kill 9, injure 10 in deadly shooting near Johannesburg

At least nine people were killed and 10 others injured after gunmen opened fire at a tavern outside Johannesburg in the early hours of Sunday, according to South African police, marking the second deadly bar shooting in the country this month.

The attack occurred shortly before 1:00 am (2300 GMT) at a bar in Bekkersdal, an impoverished township located about 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of Johannesburg in a gold-mining area.

Police initially reported that 10 people had been killed but later revised the death toll downward.

The incident comes barely two weeks after another shooting at a tavern near Pretoria on December 6, where a dozen people, including a three-year-old child, were killed.

Deputy provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said most of the assailants were armed with pistols, while one carried an AK-47 rifle.

“They entered the tavern and randomly shot at the patrons, unprovoked,” Kekana told SABC television at the scene.

According to him, three people were killed inside the bar, while others were shot as they attempted to flee. The attackers continued firing as they exited the premises.

“It’s also reported that after they shot the people, they searched them. They took their valuables, including cell phones,” he said.

Among the victims was a driver working for an online car-hailing service who was passing by at the time of the shooting.

“It’s pure criminality,” Kekana said, adding that police had launched a manhunt for the suspects and were appealing to members of the public for information.

Crime wave
South Africa, Africa’s most industrialised nation, continues to struggle with high levels of violent crime, much of it linked to organised criminal groups and gangs.

The widespread availability of both legal and illegal firearms has contributed to frequent shootings, often driven by gang rivalry and disputes among informal businesses.

The tavern attacked near Pretoria earlier this month was operating without a licence and was located inside a hostel for migrant workers in Saulsville township. Among those killed were children aged three, 12 and 16.

The country was also shaken last week by the daytime killing of a former radio presenter popularly known as DJ Warras in central Johannesburg.

The 40-year-old, whose real name was Warris Stock, was shot dead on December 16 outside a building he had visited while carrying out duties for a private security company.

In another high-profile case, a witness in a corruption investigation was gunned down in front of his family on December 5, only weeks after giving testimony against a municipal police chief.

The killing of 41-year-old Marius Van der Merwe reignited national debate over the safety of whistleblowers who provide information on crime and corruption, including cases involving government officials.

South Africa remains one of the countries with the highest murder rates globally, with police data showing an average of 63 people killed daily between April and September.

One of the deadliest recent mass shootings occurred in September 2024, when 18 relatives attending a traditional ceremony were shot dead at a rural homestead in the Eastern Cape province. The victims, aged between 14 and 64, included 15 women. Several suspects have since been arrested.