Nine people were killed and ten others injured in a shooting at Bekkersdal, a township about 40 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg, police reported on Sunday. Authorities said assailants arrived in two vehicles and fired indiscriminately near an informal tavern.
“Some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen,” a police statement said, adding that the attackers “opened fire at tavern patrons and continued to shoot randomly as they fled the scene.”
Provincial police commissioner Maj Gen Fred Kekana told SABC that the victims included a driver for an online car-hailing service who was outside the bar at the time. Police said the motive remains unclear and a manhunt has been launched to apprehend those responsible. The injured were taken to hospital for treatment, while authorities urged anyone with information to come forward.
Bekkersdal is an impoverished township near major goldmines, where violent crime is frequent. Earlier this month, on December 6, gunmen killed 12 people, including a three-year-old, during a similar attack at a hostel in Saulsville township near Pretoria.
Police said that incident occurred at a site selling alcohol illegally, highlighting the persistent threat of gang violence and criminal disputes in the country.