In South Africa, a devastating shooting at a local tavern in Bekkersdal has left nine people dead, prompting the arrest of eleven suspects, according to authorities. The shooting is believed to have been carried out by a group of twelve unidentified gunmen who opened fire on patrons of the establishment early Sunday morning.
Police have confirmed that among those arrested, nine individuals are Lesotho nationals and one is from Mozambique, with an additional suspect believed to be a South African mineworker. During the arrests, investigators recovered several illegal firearms, including an AK-47, presenting a grave reminder of South Africa's ongoing struggles with gun violence.
The nature of the attack, characterized as 'unprovoked' initially, is now suspected to have connections to turf wars related to illegal mining activities in the area. This incident follows a disturbing trend of mass shootings in the country which, despite a drop in reported cases in 2025, have seen a rise in violent events involving four or more victims since 2020.
Such attacks often occur in local taverns or shebeens, where the community gathers, raising alarms on public safety. Just two weeks prior to this tragedy, another violence incident at the Saulsville Hostel in Pretoria resulted in the deaths of eleven individuals, including a young child.
With estimates suggesting a duality of approximately three million legally owned and an equal number of illegal firearms circulating in South Africa, the government faces an urgent challenge in addressing gun control and violent crime.
