Nine people were killed and at least 10 others injured when gunmen opened fire at a tavern in South Africa early Sunday morning, authorities said.
The shooting took place shortly before 1 a.m. in Bekkersdal, a township about 46 kilometers (28 miles) west of Johannesburg. It marks the second mass shooting in the country within the past three weeks.
Police said approximately 12 unidentified suspects arrived in a white minibus and a silver sedan before firing on patrons at the KwaNoxolo tavern in the Tambo area of Bekkersdal. The attackers reportedly continued shooting indiscriminately as they fled, hitting people in nearby streets.
“Some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen,” police said. Nine people died at the scene, while 10 others were taken to hospital.
Authorities have not released details about most of the victims, but police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed that an e-hailing driver was among those killed. The driver had just dropped off a passenger when he was struck by gunfire.
“He was shot and killed,” Muridili told The Associated Press.
A manhunt has been launched, led by Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations working alongside the Crime Detection Tracing Unit.
South Africa has seen repeated mass shootings at taverns, also known as shebeens, in recent years. Earlier this month, at least 12 people were killed and 13 injured in a shooting at an unlicensed bar near the capital. In 2022, a separate attack in the Soweto township claimed 16 lives, while another shooting the same day killed four people in a different province.
With nearly 26,000 homicides recorded in 2024 averaging more than 70 deaths per day South Africa remains one of the countries with the highest murder rates globally. Firearms are the leading cause of homicide, and officials say many crimes are committed using illegally obtained guns, despite the country’s strict gun control laws.
