Authorities in South Africa have arrested 11 suspects in connection with a shooting at a tavern in Bekkersdal township that killed 10 people and wounded 10 others. The arrests were made on Wednesday following the incident on Sunday, during which police said approximately a dozen gunmen traveling in a minibus and a car opened fire at the establishment.
The suspects, which include nine citizens of Lesotho and one from Mozambique, were apprehended after police and security personnel conducted operations at two houses outside Johannesburg. During the arrests, officers seized several unlicensed firearms, including four handguns and an AK-47 rifle, according to police statements.
Fred Kekana, the acting provincial commissioner of Gauteng, informed reporters that cartridges and ammunition discovered at the suspects’ location were of the “same type” as those found at the shooting scene in Bekkersdal. He confirmed the items have been sent for ballistic testing to determine if they were used in the attack.
In a related development, authorities also arrested a South African mine employee who faces charges of harboring undocumented individuals and obstructing justice.
The owner of the tavern, Nonesi Matwa, was charged on Tuesday with fraud and operating an illegal liquor establishment, according to reports from local media. A statement from Matwa’s family, reported by media outlets, said she was being unfairly targeted. The family asserted she was not responsible for the violence, stating she was not the one who “pulled the trigger and killed the patrons.”
Bekkersdal, located west of Johannesburg, is situated in an area with numerous abandoned mine shafts. Such townships have become centers for illicit mining operations conducted by undocumented miners, often referred to as “zama-zamas.” Authorities have previously linked these operations to gang violence and the spread of illegal firearms in the region. The illicit trade is reported to involve many migrants from neighboring countries, including Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.
According to 2024 official data, South Africa recorded nearly 26,000 homicides, an average of more than 70 per day. Firearms are the leading cause of death in these homicides. While the country has stringent gun control laws, officials report that many killings are carried out with illegally obtained firearms.
