South African police arrested 11 people after a tavern shooting in Bekkersdal left 10 dead and 10 wounded. Among those detained were nine Lesotho nationals, one Mozambican and a South African mine employee; several are suspected undocumented miners. Authorities seized four handguns and an AK-47, and ammunition from the scene has been sent for forensic testing. The tavern owner faces charges over licensing and fraud, which her family disputes.
11 Arrested After Deadly Bekkersdal Tavern Mass Shooting That Killed 10
Forensic officials work at the scene of an early morning shooting in Bekkersdal township, southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa [File: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]
South African police have detained 11 people in connection with a mass shooting at a tavern in Bekkersdal that left 10 people dead and 10 others wounded.
Authorities said raids on two houses outside Johannesburg on Wednesday produced the arrests, which included nine citizens of Lesotho, one Mozambican and a South African mine employee. Police say several of the detainees are suspected undocumented miners.
Weapons Seized and Forensic Tests Underway
Officers recovered unlicensed firearms from the suspects, reportedly including four handguns and an AK-47 rifle. Fred Kekana, acting provincial commissioner for Gauteng, told reporters that cartridges and live ammunition recovered at the Bekkersdal scene were of the "same type" as the weapons seized and have been sent for forensic testing to establish whether they were fired during the attack.
Additional Charges and Local Response
Police also charged a South African mine employee with harbouring undocumented tenants and obstructing justice. Local media reported that tavern owner Nonesi Matwa was later charged with fraud and operating an unlicensed liquor outlet. Matwa's family has told reporters they believe she is being unfairly singled out and stressed that she was not the person who "pulled the trigger".
Context: Illegal Mining, Guns and Violence
Bekkersdal and other townships west of Johannesburg are ringed by abandoned mine shafts and have long been associated with illicit mining. Informal miners known locally as "zama-zamas" are widely believed to operate in the area, and illegal mining networks have been linked to gang activity and the spread of illicit firearms.
South Africa recorded almost 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 per day — making it one of the countries with the highest homicide rates worldwide. Officials say firearms are the leading cause in these killings, and many murders are carried out with illegal weapons despite relatively strict gun-control laws.
Investigation ongoing: Police say forensic testing of ammunition and further inquiries are underway as investigators work to determine the full chain of events and hold those responsible to account.
