PRETORIA, South Africa — Gunmen stormed an illegal drinking venue in a township west of Pretoria on Saturday evening, killing 12 people — including a three-year-old boy — and wounding many others in one of a string of recent mass shootings that have shaken the country, police said.
Police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe said 25 people were shot in the attack at a shebeen in Saulsville township, about 18 kilometres west of Pretoria. Ten victims died at the scene and two more died after being taken to hospital; 14 people were hospitalised, Mathe said. Among the dead were a three-year-old boy, a 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl.
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“I can confirm that a total of 25 people were shot,” Mathe said. She told public broadcaster SABC the police were alerted “at around six o’clock” and that illegal and unlicensed liquor premises are a persistent problem: “We are having a serious challenge when it comes to these illegal and unlicensed liquor premises … they are where most mass shootings occur. Innocent people also get caught up in the crossfire.”
Mathe said the motive for the attack remained unknown and that no arrests had been made. A manhunt was under way for three unidentified suspects, she added.
The raid on the shebeen — an unlicensed bar that often operates in residential areas — highlights the links authorities draw between illicit liquor outlets and violent crime in South Africa. Police statistics cited by officials show widespread gun violence across the country and a proliferation of illegal firearms despite many citizens legally owning guns for personal protection.
South Africa, the continent’s most industrialised nation, has long struggled with high rates of violent crime driven by organised criminal networks, corruption and entrenched poverty. Police data released earlier this year showed an average of 63 people killed each day between April and September, underscoring the scale of lethal violence confronting law enforcement and communities.
Local residents said emergency services and police responded to the scene after the alert, with bodies and injured people removed to nearby hospitals. Authorities did not immediately release the identities of the victims as families were being notified.
Investigators were collecting evidence at the shebeen and interviewing witnesses. Police urged anyone with information, footage or tips to come forward to assist the manhunt and help establish a motive for the attack.
The national health department and provincial officials were expected to provide updates on the condition of the injured and on any developments in the investigation.
With no arrests reported, the slaying of children and other patrons has intensified calls from community leaders and opposition politicians for stronger policing of illegal liquor outlets and tighter controls on firearms to curb mass shootings.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
