South Africa: Armed Men Kill Nine in Bar Attack

In South Africa, armed men opened fire in a bar near Johannesburg, killing nine people and injuring ten, the South African police reported on Sunday, marking the second such shooting in the country this month.

The shooting occurred early Sunday around 1:00 AM (Saturday 11:00 PM GMT) in a 'tavern' - an illegal bar - and continued on the street in Bekkersdal, a poor township located in a gold mining area about 40 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa's economic capital.

This tragedy follows a similar shooting on December 6, when armed men stormed a workers' hostel in Pretoria, killing 11 people, including a three-year-old child, at a location that police said housed another informal bar.

In Bekkersdal, 'some victims were shot randomly in the street by unidentified armed men,' the police stated in a release, initially reporting ten fatalities before revising the toll to nine.

Most of the assailants were armed with handguns, and one was carrying an AK-47 assault rifle, according to Fred Kekana, the provincial police commissioner, during a statement to SABC television.

'They entered the bar and opened fire randomly on the patrons,' he elaborated.

- Killed and Robbed -

Three individuals were killed inside the establishment, and others were injured while trying to escape, as the assailants continued shooting at them during their flight, he added.

'It appears that after shooting the victims, they searched them. They stole their valuables, including their mobile phones,' Mr. Kekana stated.

Among the deceased was a rideshare driver passing by the bar.

'It's pure and simple crime,' lamented Mr. Kekana. The police have launched a manhunt to locate the attackers and requested public assistance.

South Africa, the most industrialized country on the continent, is grappling with endemic crime and corruption, fueled by organized networks and gangs.

The country is awash with firearms, both legal and primarily illegal, and shootings are frequent, often driven by gang rivalries and competition among informal businesses.

- Serial Killings -

The bar targeted in the Pretoria attack earlier this month was an illegal establishment located in a migrant workers' hostel in the township of Saulsville. Among the victims were children aged 3, 12, and 16.

The country was also shocked by the daylight assassination on December 16 in downtown Johannesburg of a popular former radio host, Warris Stock, known as DJ Warras, who was shot in front of a building where he had gone for work for a private security company.

Another highly publicized murder involved a witness in a corruption investigation who was shot in front of his family on December 5, weeks after testifying against a municipal police chief.

The murder of 41-year-old Marius Van der Merwe has reignited a debate about the targeting of whistleblowers who provide information on crime and corruption, including in the public sector and cases involving government officials.

South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Between April and September, approximately 63 people were killed every day in the country of 63 million inhabitants, according to South African police data.

In September 2024, one of the deadliest recent shootings resulted in the deaths of 18 members of the same family at an isolated farm in the Eastern Cape province.

The victims, gathered for a traditional ceremony, ranged in age from 14 to 64, including 15 women. Several men have been arrested.

AFP