Johannesburg, December 21, 2025 – The Europe Today: Gunmen killed nine people and injured ten others in an attack in Bekkersdal, a township located 40 kilometres south-west of Johannesburg, South African police reported on Sunday. This marks the country’s second mass shooting this December.
Police initially reported ten fatalities before revising the death toll. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
“Some victims were randomly shot in the streets by unknown gunmen,” a police statement said. According to authorities, the attackers, travelling in two vehicles, opened fire on patrons at an informal bar and continued shooting randomly as they fled the scene.
Among the dead was a driver for an online car-hailing service who had been outside the bar, provincial police commissioner Maj Gen Fred Kekana told SABC television. The wounded were taken to nearby hospitals, and a manhunt for the suspects has been launched.
The shooting occurred in Bekkersdal, an impoverished area situated near several of South Africa’s major gold mines. Such incidents are often linked to gang violence and competition among informal businesses, contributing to South Africa’s high murder rate.
Earlier this month, on 6 December, gunmen stormed a hostel near Pretoria, killing twelve people, including a three-year-old child. Police said that attack occurred at a location illegally selling alcohol.
Authorities continue to grapple with entrenched crime and corruption driven by organised networks, with mass shootings and violent attacks remaining a significant public safety challenge.
