Nine people were killed and at least 10 others wounded when multiple gunmen opened fire at KwaNoxolo tavern in Bekkersdal in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Police now say the tavern’s owner will be arrested for operating with a fraudulent liquor licence, as the investigation into the mass shooting intensifies.
Acting commissioner: tavern owner to be charged
Acting Gauteng Police Commissioner Fred Kekana says detectives have confirmed that KwaNoxolo was trading on the strength of a fake licence.
He has instructed that the owner be arrested and charged once the necessary statements and documents have been secured, adding that police “cannot allow businesses to operate outside the law and put lives at risk.”
Kekana also confirmed that two people have been identified as possible suspects in connection with the attack and that specialised teams are tracking them.
He said the licensing case and the murder investigation will run in parallel, with further enforcement expected against non-compliant outlets in the area.
How the KwaNoxolo tavern shooting unfolded
The shooting took place just before 01:00 on Sunday in the Tambo section of Bekkersdal, about 46km west of Johannesburg.
Police say around 12 men arrived in a white minibus and a silver sedan before opening fire on patrons at KwaNoxolo tavern.
According to Kekana, the group included men wearing balaclavas and carrying an AK-47 rifle and several 9mm pistols. Witnesses told officers that the gunmen sprayed bullets inside the tavern and continued firing as they fled, hitting bystanders in the streets.
Police said “some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen,” with nine people declared dead and 10 taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.
An e-hailing driver who had just dropped off a client was among those killed.
Two suspects identified, manhunt under way
The Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations unit, working with crime-tracing teams, has launched a manhunt for the attackers.
Kekana says two individuals have been positively identified as possible suspects based on witness accounts and early tracing work, but their names are being withheld while investigators finalise warrants and line-ups.
Detectives have opened nine counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder.
Ballistic experts are analysing cartridge casings and other evidence recovered from the tavern and surrounding streets in an effort to link the guns used at KwaNoxolo to other crimes.
Mass shootings, illegal guns and unlicensed taverns
The Bekkersdal attack is the second mass shooting in a South African bar in three weeks, adding to a string of incidents in which gunmen have targeted crowded taverns and hostel pubs.
Authorities say the Bekkersdal region, surrounded by abandoned mine shafts, is notorious for illegal mining, gang activity and the circulation of unlicensed firearms.
Police statistics show that firearms remain the leading cause of death in homicides nationally, despite strict gun laws on paper.
Kekana has promised sustained operations against both illegal guns and non-compliant liquor outlets following the KwaNoxolo tavern shooting.
For residents of Bekkersdal, where nine people have now been killed and 10 injured in a single night, the investigation and upcoming arrests will be a key test of whether that commitment translates into safety on the ground.
