At least ten people were killed and ten others wounded after gunmen opened fire at a township tavern and nearby streets in Bekkersdal, west of Johannesburg, in one of the deadliest mass shootings in South Africa this month.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday in Bekkersdal, approximately 40 kilometres south-west of Johannesburg. Police said the suspects arrived in two vehicles and began shooting at patrons gathered at an informal tavern before fleeing the scene while firing indiscriminately.
“Some victims were randomly shot in the street by unknown gunmen,” police said in a statement.
Authorities initially reported that ten people had died but later revised the death toll to nine after confirming details at the scene.
Among those killed was a driver working for an online ride-hailing service who was outside the tavern at the time of the attack, according to Gauteng provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana.
The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, where they are receiving medical treatment. Their conditions have not yet been disclosed.
Police have launched a manhunt for the suspects, but no arrests had been made by Sunday morning. The motive for the shooting remains unclear.
Bekkersdal is an impoverished township located near several of South Africa’s major goldmines and has long been affected by high levels of crime, unemployment, and informal economic activity.
The incident marks South Africa’s second mass shooting in December. Earlier this month, gunmen killed at least twelve people, including a three-year-old child, during an attack at a hostel near Pretoria. Police later revealed that the premises were allegedly operating as an illegal alcohol outlet.
South Africa continues to grapple with persistent violent crime, much of it linked to organised criminal networks, gang activity, and competition within informal businesses. The country remains among those with the highest murder rates globally.
Police have appealed to anyone with information related to the Bekkersdal shooting to come forward.