At least 12 people, including minors, were killed and 14 others injured when gunmen stormed a hostel in Gauteng province early on Saturday<\/p>\n
The premier of South Africa\u2019s Gauteng province, Panyaza Lesufi, has vowed to step up operations against illegal taverns and tighten liquor law enforcement after a deadly shooting at an unlicensed bar in Saulsville Hostel, Atteridgeville, left 12 people dead.
\nThe incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, claiming the lives of 12 people, including three minors, and leaving 14 others injured.\u00a0Police said 25 people were shot, with all survivors hospitalised.
\n\u201dSAPS has launched a manhunt for three unknown suspects,\u201d SAPS National Spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said.\u00a0She confirmed the deceased included three minors \u2013 boys aged three and 12, and a 16-year-old girl \u2013 with the remaining victims being adults.
\nThe attack happened just after 4:15am, but police were only alerted around 6am.\u00a0Mathe said at least three gunmen entered the hostel and began shooting randomly at patrons. Lesufi described the murders as \u201cheartbreaking and unacceptable,\u201d and expressed his deepest condolences to the victims\u2019 families.
\n\u201cWe are distressed by the loss of innocent lives, including young children, in this senseless act of violence. Our hearts go out to the families who are grieving today,\u201d he said.
\nLesufi emphasised that illegal liquor outlets often become magnets for criminal activity, posing serious risks to public safety.\u00a0
\n\u201cIllegal shebeens must not be allowed to operate as safe havens for criminals. We strongly condemn the lawlessness that thrives in such spaces. Working with law enforcement, we will intensify operations targeting both legal and illegal alcohol establishments to ensure full compliance with the law.\u201d
\nHe said law enforcement authorities, supported by specialised units, are pursuing leads to apprehend the suspects.\u00a0Lesufi reiterated that the provincial government will not allow communities to live in fear.<\/p>\n
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In a separate incident, Lesufi condemned the murder of Marius Van der Merwe, known as Witness D at the Madlanga Commission, who was shot dead outside his home in Brakpan on Friday evening in front of his wife and children.\u00a0Police said an AK-47 automatic rifle was used, and the suspects fled in a white Nissan NP200 bakkie.<\/p>\n
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Van der Merwe, 41, had testified last month about a 2022 incident implicating suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department acting chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi and other law enforcement members in an alleged cover-up. He was not under witness protection.
\nMeanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa also condemned Van der Merwe\u2019s killing, describing it as a \u201cheinous crime\u201d and called for a thorough investigation.\u00a0\u201cWe cannot allow this level of lawlessness, particularly in the security cluster, to continue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
First published by IOL<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At least 12 people, including minors, were killed and 14 others injured when gunmen stormed a hostel in Gauteng province early on Saturday The premier of South Africa\u2019s Gauteng province,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23986,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t