A shooting at a pub in South Africa has left nine people dead and at least ten wounded. The attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday in the township of Bekkersdal, about 46 kilometres west of Johannesburg. Authorities say a group of unknown gunmen in a white mini‑bus and a silver sedan opened fire on patrons at the KwaNoxolo tavern, continuing to shoot randomly as they fled the scene just before 1 a.m.
Police confirmed that an e‑hailing driver, who had just dropped off a client, was among those caught in the crossfire and killed. The victims’ identities have not been released. A manhunt for the approximately 12 suspects has been launched by the Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations unit, in collaboration with the Crime Detection Tracing Unit.
This incident is the second mass shooting in South Africa within three weeks. Earlier this month, a mass shooting at an unlicensed bar near the capital killed at least 12 people and injured 13 others. In 2022, a shooting in the Johannesburg township of Soweto claimed 16 lives, and another bar shooting in a different province killed four people on the same day.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, with almost 26,000 homicides reported in 2024—averaging more than 70 per day. Firearms are the leading cause of death in these homicides, many involving illegal weapons. Despite stringent gun‑control laws, officials struggle to curb the use of illicit firearms.
The recent surge in mass shootings has raised concerns about public safety and the effectiveness of current measures to address gun violence. As the investigation continues, authorities are working to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, underscoring the need for sustained efforts to tackle the root causes of violence and to reduce the proliferation of illegal firearms in South Africa.
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