A three-year-old child is among 12 people who were killed in a mass shooting at a shebeen in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, prompting police to mobilise resources to the scene. At least 10 people died on site, while two others succumbed to their injuries in hospital. More than 20 people were injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The motive for the attack remains unclear, and authorities are currently searching for at least three male suspects.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said illegal shebeens pose a significant challenge, as most violent incidents occur in these unlicensed liquor premises. Confrontations and misunderstandings at such establishments often escalate into deadly altercations.
“These unlicensed liquor premises are posing a challenge for us because that is where most of these incidents happen, where people are being killed. Some confrontations and misunderstandings lead to fighting and, ultimately, some lose their lives. Between April and September, we shut down 11 975 of these unlicensed premises,” Mathe said.
She added that the motive for the shooting is still under investigation.
“We are not aware yet what could have been the motive, but our detectives are on the ground, piecing together information. We’ve taken several statements and are working with the community and witnesses to understand exactly what happened and to identify who we might be looking for,” Mathe said.
