Nine dead, ten wounded in Bekkersdal tavern shooting in South Africa
Gunmen opened fire at a tavern in Bekkersdal, near Johannesburg, triggering a manhunt as South Africa grapples with a spate of bar attacks and a high homicide rate.
Bekkersdal, South Africa — Nine people were killed and 10 others were wounded in a mass shooting at a tavern in Bekkersdal, a township in Gauteng province, police said, in the early hours of Sunday. The attack unfolded just before 1 a.m. at the KwaNoxolo tavern in the Tambo section of Bekkersdal, about 28 miles west of Johannesburg.
Investigators said roughly 12 suspects were seen leaving the scene in a white mini-bus and a silver sedan, firing from multiple angles as they fled. Some of the gunmen wore balaclavas, police said. The group is believed to have used one AK-47 rifle and several nine-millimeter pistols. An e-hailing driver who had just dropped off a client was among the victims and was killed in the crossfire, authorities said. Police described a chaotic scene in which some victims were shot in the streets by unknown assailants.
A manhunt was launched by Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations in collaboration with the Crime Detection Tracing Unit as investigators comb the area for suspects. The shooting comes as South Africa has faced a string of mass shootings at bars, taverns and shebeens in recent years. It marks the second mass shooting at a venue in roughly three weeks, according to the notes.
Earlier this month, another mass shooting occurred at an unlicensed bar near the capital, leaving at least 12 dead and 13 injured. In 2022, a mass shooting in the Soweto township near Johannesburg killed 16 people. The pattern of bar shootings has raised concerns about safety at nightlife venues amid ongoing crime concerns in the country.
South Africa recorded nearly 26,000 homicides in 2024, an average of more than 70 per day, underscoring one of the world’s highest homicide rates. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides. Despite relatively stringent gun control laws, many murders in South Africa are carried out with illegal firearms.
The investigation is being led by Gauteng authorities, with officials saying the motive remains unknown as officers continue to interview witnesses and gather video footage from nearby businesses and residents. The public is urged to come forward with any information relevant to identifying and locating the gunmen, who authorities say fled the scene in a white mini-bus and a silver sedan.
