Nine people were killed and at least 10 others were wounded early Sunday when multiple gunmen opened fire at a licensed tavern in the Tambo section of Bekkersdal, west of Johannesburg South Africa, before speeding away in two vehicles, authorities said.
Police and emergency crews were called just before 1 a.m. to the KwaNoxolo Tavern, where investigators say roughly a dozen attackers arrived in a white minibus and a silver sedan and began shooting at patrons inside and outside the venue. The assault, which unfolded within minutes, is the second mass bar shooting reported in South Africa this month and has renewed pressure on provincial leaders to address gun violence tied to illegal firearms. A manhunt was underway Sunday as detectives canvassed nearby streets for shell casings, surveillance footage and witnesses who saw the cars leave the neighborhood.
Officers found victims both in the bar and on surrounding streets, according to initial reports from the South African Police Service. Five of the dead were discovered inside the tavern, three were found on the roadway and another victim was located nearby after being struck while walking. Provincial police commissioner Maj. Gen. Fred Kekana told local television that one of the deceased was an e-hailing driver who had just dropped off a passenger. “Some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen,” police said. Paramedics transported the wounded to area hospitals; several remained in serious condition late Sunday as relatives waited for updates outside facilities in Randfontein and Westonaria.
Investigators said the attackers used at least one AK-47 rifle and multiple 9mm handguns, based on cartridges collected at the scene. Detectives with the Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations unit and the Crime Detection Tracing Unit led door-to-door interviews and requested any cell-phone video captured around the time of the shooting. Authorities have not announced arrests or a motive. They are examining whether the gunmen targeted specific patrons or fired indiscriminately. Officials described the assault as unprovoked and said the suspects continued to fire as they fled the area, a densely built township of small homes and narrow streets about 28 miles west of downtown Johannesburg.
Bekkersdal, part of the Rand West City municipality, has struggled with violent crime amid the decline of nearby gold mining and persistent unemployment. National officials say South Africa, a country of roughly 62 million, recorded nearly 26,000 homicides in 2024, averaging more than 70 a day, with a large share involving firearms. Mass shootings at bars—often referred to as taverns or shebeens—have become a recurring concern. Earlier this month, twelve people, including three minors, were killed in a separate attack at an unlicensed bar near Pretoria. In 2022, sixteen people died in a mass shooting at a bar in Soweto, one of the deadliest single incidents in recent years.
Police said forensic teams would complete ballistic testing on recovered cartridges to determine whether the weapons had been used in other crimes. Detectives planned to review security cameras at nearby shops and homes and to trace the two vehicles seen leaving the scene. Officials said they expect to release updated casualty figures once hospitals confirm conditions and identities. No charges had been filed by Sunday evening. If arrests are made, suspects would likely appear first in the Westonaria Magistrate’s Court, which handles cases from the area, before any transfer to a higher court depending on counts filed and potential conspiracy or racketeering allegations that could emerge from the investigation.
Outside the cordoned-off street, residents described waking to bursts of rapid gunfire and people shouting for help. “It sounded like fireworks at first, then we realized it was bullets,” said Zodwa M., who lives two houses from the tavern. A small crowd gathered behind police tape as officers photographed bullet holes and numbered markers. A local pastor said congregants were arranging food and transport for families waiting at hospitals. By late morning, broken glass littered the bar’s doorway, and detectives carried brown evidence bags to a van while uniformed officers redirected traffic from the block.
As night fell, police maintained a visible presence around the Tambo section while detectives continued interviews with patrons who had not yet provided statements. Authorities said the next update on the investigation is expected Monday after overnight canvassing and ballistic reviews. Hospitals in Randfontein and Westonaria reported the wounded remained under observation. The tavern remained closed pending further examination by forensic teams.