By Enyichukwu Enemanna
South African authorities have launched a manhunt for suspects following a shooting at a tavern in Bekkersdal, near Johannesburg in which nine people were feared dead and ten others injured.
According to police sources, seven men and two women were killed after about 12 unidentified gunmen arrived in two vehicles and opened fire at those sighted at the tavern.
This comes just weeks after at least 11 people, including a child were shot dead at a hostel near the capital, Pretoria.
The latest happened at about 01:00 local time on Sunday (23:00 GMT Saturday) and the perpetrators “continued to shoot randomly as people fled the scene”, police added.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world.
Police tally indicates that sixty-three people were killed every day on average between April and September this year.
Murders are often the result of arguments, robberies and gang violence. The motive for this attack is not clear.
At the scene, deputy provincial police commissioner Maj-Gen Fred Kekana told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that the perpetrators, armed with pistols and one AK-47, were “unprovoked”.
“The poor patrons were just enjoying themselves when people came and shot,” he said.
Two of the victims were shot outside the tavern as they tried to flee and a third was a taxi driver who had dropped off a passenger nearby, Maj-Gen Kekana added.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, one resident described how gunfire had become a normal thing at night in Bekkersdal.
“Criminals, they do as they please here,” the unnamed man said.
“These guns, they sound each and every evening… as soon as it’s dusk we know that gunshots are about to sound and they will sound severely. It is terrorising our communities.”
A BBC report says the deputy mayor for the local municipality Nontombi Molatlhegi said that locals were afraid of speaking out and identifying those responsible.
She said that the police were under-resourced, and too thinly spread, and called for the military to get involved in protecting residents.
