Nine Dead, Ten Injured in Mass Shooting Near Johannesburg

By Knowledge Muneri 

Nine people were killed and 10 others injured in a mass shooting at a tavern in Bekkersdal, near Johannesburg, in the early hours of Sunday, December 21, 2025. The attack occurred just before 1 AM at a licensed tavern in the Tambo section, where around 12 unknown suspects arrived in a white kombi and a silver sedan.

According to police, the assailants opened fire on patrons and continued shooting indiscriminately as people tried to flee. Deputy Provincial Police Commissioner Maj-Gen Fred Kekana stated that the attackers, armed with pistols and an AK-47, were "unprovoked." The motive for the attack remains unclear.

South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with police figures showing an average of 63 people killed daily between April and September this year. Many murders are linked to arguments, robberies, and gang-related violence.

"The poor patrons were just enjoying themselves when people came and shot," Maj-Gen Kekana said. Two victims were shot outside the tavern while trying to escape, and a third was a taxi driver who had dropped off a passenger nearby.

The deputy mayor of the local municipality, Nontombi Molatlhegi, expressed concern that residents were too afraid to speak out or identify the perpetrators. She also called for the military to step in to protect the community, citing that the police were under-resourced and stretched too thin.

The incident follows another recent mass shooting in the country, where at least 11 people, including a child, were killed in a hostel near Pretoria. South Africa has a significant issue with firearms, with experts estimating that there may be an equal number of unlicensed guns in circulation as the three million legally owned firearms.