A manhunt of significant proportions has been launched in the Gauteng province following a calculated act of mass violence that has left the local community of Bekkersdal reeling. In the early hours of Sunday, 21st December 2025, a group of armed assailants besieged a local establishment, resulting in the deaths of at least nine individuals and leaving a further ten with varying degrees of injury.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed that the atrocity occurred shortly before 1:00 am local time within the Tambo municipality of the township.
According to official police reports, the peace was shattered when approximately twelve unidentified suspects, arriving in a white kombi and a silver sedan, unleashed a hail of gunfire upon patrons at a licensed tavern. The horror did not cease at the entrance; witnesses described a scene of utter chaos as the gunmen continued to fire indiscriminately while fleeing the vicinity.
The death toll was initially reported by the national broadcaster, SABC, as ten, but has since been clarified by authorities to stand at nine fatalities. The victims remain unidentified at this stage, as investigators work tirelessly to notify next of kin.
The gravity of the incident has prompted an immediate and comprehensive response from the nation’s security apparatus. Acting Commissioner of the Gauteng province, Fred Kekana, confirmed that specialised units have been deployed to the scene.
“The provincial crime scene management team has arrived, as has the local criminal record centre,” Mr Kekana stated during a briefing. “Our serious crime investigation team, crime intelligence, and the provincial crime detective team are currently on-site. We are in the critical phase of obtaining statements and gathering forensic evidence.”
The SAPS took to the social media platform X to signal the commencement of a province-wide manhunt, involving both the Gauteng Serious and Violent Crime Investigations and the Crime Detection Tracing Unit.
The motive behind this savage assault remains shrouded in mystery. Authorities have noted that the establishment in question was a fully licensed venue, and there were no immediate indications of a prior altercation that might have precipitated such a high-calibre response.
This latest incident of mass shooting once again brings the issue of violent crime in South Africa into sharp focus. For the residents of Bekkersdal, a Sunday intended for rest has instead been marked by mourning and the presence of heavy police cordons.
The SAPS has urged anyone with information regarding the white kombi or the silver sedan, or the identities of the twelve suspects, to come forward with urgency.
