Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko after a service at Nomzamo Community Hall in Soweto on 12 July 2022. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
The Gauteng government has confirmed that the death toll in the mass shooting at the Mdlalose tavern in Nomzamo, Soweto, has risen to 16.
Addressing community members on Tuesday, Gauteng MEC for community safety Faith Mazibuko said the victim succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
“We are hurt about what happened and now we have received news that another person has passed on.
“We had visited the hospital where the others were admitted to [after the shooting],” she said in IsiZulu.
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Mazibuko also said that the provincial government would assist the victim’s families with the burials.
“The bodies of most of the deceased might be going to KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. Social workers are also doing assessments of the families because it may not be known who might have dependents.
“We will work together with long-distance taxis associations because they need transport. Avbob has come on board to assist with burials,” she said.
Police are in search for five suspects, who fled in a Toyota Quantum, in connection to the shooting.
The MEC revealed to eNCA that the police have obtained video footage, however, it is unclear what it shows.
Police Minister Bheki Cele on Monday visited Nomzamo and informed residents that more than 130 empty cartridges were found at the crime scene.
Cele said it is believed that the suspects armed with three AK-47s launched the attack.
The minister also said an 11-member detective team of the South African Police Service (Saps) was investigating the murders, adding that members of the Tactical Response Team would be deployed to Nomzamo.
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A total of 23 people were shot inside the tavern in the early hours on Sunday when gunmen opened fire on patrons, with 15 deaths initially being confirmed after the incident.
Two people died at the Mputlane Inn Tavern in Katlehong after four unknown gunmen on Friday fired shots aimed at a snooker table.
One person was also shot in Mamelodi, Pretoria on Monday.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello, the latest incident took place at Monaco tavern, where three suspects wearing balaclavas approached a 33-year-old man and shot him twice.
Four people died and eight others were left wounded in another tavern shooting in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) over the weekend.
Two armed men stormed into Samkelisiwe tavern in Sweetwaters at 8:30pm on Saturday and randomly opened fire on patrons, before fleeing the scene.
Police have since arrested two people in connection to the shooting and more arrests are imminent.
The KZN Liquor Authority has indicated that it will recommend the suspension of Samkelisiwe tavern’s liquor licence.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday, the liquor authority’s acting CEO, Bheki Mbanjwa, said its internal investigations reveal that there was a breach in security.
“We discovered that there were certain things that the licence holder was supposed to implement based on the security plan that was submitted, [but these were not] implemented. So we are now going to be making recommendation to the board to take further steps against the licence holder,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng Liquor Board has called for a law that requires tavern owners to have security personnel at their establishments.
The shootings come after 21 teenagers died at the Enyobeni tavern in East London, Eastern Cape, last month.
The teens – aged 13 to 17 – were reportedly killed by toxic fumes emanating from a petrol generator suspected to have been used inside the tavern in Scenery Park.
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