At least nine people were killed and more than 10 others injured after gunmen opened fire at a tavern in South Africa’s Gauteng province early Sunday, police said.
The shooting took place shortly before 1 a.m. in Bekkersdal, a township about 46 kilometers west of Johannesburg. Authorities said it was the country’s second mass shooting in less than three weeks.
According to police, about a dozen suspects arrived at the KwaNoxolo tavern in the Tambo section of Bekkersdal in a white minibus and a silver sedan. The assailants allegedly began firing at patrons inside the bar and continued shooting indiscriminately as they fled the area. Some victims were also shot in nearby streets, police said.
Emergency services confirmed that nine people died at the scene, while at least 10 others were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds. Officials have not released details about the identities of the victims. However, police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said an e-hailing driver was among those killed after being caught in the crossfire while dropping off a passenger.
A large-scale manhunt has been launched, led by Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations with support from the Crime Detection Tracing Unit. No arrests have been announced, and the motive for the attack remains unclear.
Mass shootings at taverns, commonly referred to as shebeens, have occurred repeatedly across South Africa in recent years. Earlier this month, at least 12 people were killed and 13 wounded in a shooting at an unlicensed bar near the capital. In 2022, a separate attack in Soweto left 16 people dead, while four others were killed the same day in a similar incident in another province.
South Africa continues to face persistently high levels of violent crime. Police statistics show nearly 26,000 homicides were recorded in 2024, averaging more than 70 deaths a day. Firearms account for the majority of these killings. Despite relatively strict gun laws, authorities say illegal weapons remain widely used in violent crimes.
