Umamah Bakharia 

In the recent week, South Africans have witnessed mass shootings occurring around the country. In a recent incident on Monday night, a tavern in Mamelodi, Pretoria was targeted leaving one person dead.

“Most of the people were drinking inside when the suspects came in. They (gunmen) knew who they wanted to kill. They fired countless shots,” says a witness.

On Sunday morning, 15 people were shot and killed in a mass shooting at a tavern in Nomzamo, Soweto. The suspects managed to flee away in a minibus after opening fire. Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the scene and says police found 137 AK-47 cartridges.

Police Tactical Response Team ‘Amabherethe’ was deployed in the Soweto region shortly after.

“There is a thinking that it was a coordinated event. We don’t have that information. We have separate issues. The Pietermaritzburg, Katlehong and Nomzamo killings took place in taverns. We believe they coincided rather than coordinated.” says Cele.

At the same time, Gauteng police are also investigating another shooting at a tavern this time in Katlehong which occurred on Friday evening where two people were killed and four others wounded.

While two people have been arrested in connection to the killing of four people and wounding of eight others at a tavern in Sweetwaters, Pietermaritzburg. “Suspects fled the scene soon after the incident. The deceased are aged between 30 and 45,” said the police’s Nqobile Gwala.

The motives of all the shootings remain unknown as police say there are investigating.