Tragedy struck again in South Africa, just two months after a shooting at a tavern in Choba informal settlement, Olievenhoutbosch in Tshwane, claimed six lives. 

In the early hours of Sunday morning, another shooting incident was reported at a tavern in Zithobeni, Bronkhorstspruit, resulting in five fatalities and six injuries.

According to preliminary police reports, two gunmen entered the tavern and demanded that a  patron hands over his licensed firearm. 

When the patron resisted, a shot was fired inside, sparking panic. The suspects then allegedly opened fire randomly, resulting in the tragic loss of lives.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said: “It is reported by witnesses that two men known in the community came into the tavern and demanded that one of the patrons hand over his licensed firearm.”

The recent shooting incident has sparked widespread condemnation from various stakeholders, including the Portfolio Committee on Community Safety in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature which highlighted the need for the country to address violence in communities.

Committee chairperson Bandile Masuku expressed deepest concern at the incident, which left families devastated and the community in mourning. 

He said the tragedy underscores the urgent need to address the proliferation and misuse of firearms, particularly in social spaces such as taverns.

The Zithobeni incident is the latest in a string of violent crimes that have plagued South Africa’s taverns in recent years.

In January, a shooting incident was reported in Mpumalanga province’s Pienaar area, where unidentified gunmen opened fire outside a tavern, killing eight patrons. A February incident in Mandeni, north of KwaZulu-Natal, resulted in the deaths of four people, including two off-duty SAPS members, in a tavern shooting.

Masuku said the committee is alarmed by the brazenness of the perpetrators and the apparent ease with which firearms are accessed and used to commit heinous crimes.

“The committee notes with concern that this incident comes shortly after the release of the national and provincial crime statistics for the last quarter. While these statistics provide a broad overview of crime trends, they do not sufficiently isolate and highlight the growing threat posed by gun-related violence in our province,” he said.

The committee called for the development of alternative and additional crime statistics that specifically track incidents involving firearms. 

“This data will be critical in shaping targeted interventions, informing policy, and mobilizing communities against gun violence,” Masuku said.

The Independent Policing Union of South Africa (IPUSA) has echoed Masuku’s sentiments, saying the recent mass killing in Bronkhorstspruit is not an isolated tragedy but part of a disturbing pattern of unchecked criminality.

“While we acknowledge the efforts of the SAPS in combating crime, it is clear that more decisive, coordinated, and accountable action is urgently required,” said IPUSA spokesperson Bethuel Nkuna. 

He emphasised that people deserve to feel safe in their daily lives, whether at home, on their way to work, at schools, or in places of leisure.

IPUSA is urging the government to take decisive action to combat crime, recommending the reintroduction of specialised policing units at various levels and deployment of tactical and intelligence-led teams to high-risk zones among other crime-prevention measures.

“South Africa cannot afford to normalise mass killings or allow criminal syndicates to dictate the terms of public life,” Nkuna said. 

The Gauteng police are currently investigating the mass shooting in Zithobeni and have launched a manhunt for the suspects.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za

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