A tavern owner and her family are still traumatised following the deadly shooting at Mputlane Inn Tavern on July 8, at Kwanele Section, Katlehong.
The owner, Margate Motaung, told Kathorus MAIL that the shooting negatively affected her business and her children.
She said it especially impacted her 22-year-old son who is a student at Unisa.
“He disappeared on Tuesday without informing anyone. When we woke up on July 26 he was gone. We looked for him the whole day. We thought he could have gone to school to look for books or maybe he had something to do at school.
“But we were surprised that the sun had set and raised the following morning and he was still not home. When we tried calling him on Tuesday his phone was ringing but on Wednesday it took us straight to voice mail,” said Motaung.
She said a relative called to inform the family that the boy is with them in North West.
She said the son is not the only one affected but others are a lot better because they talk and discuss what had happened.
One of the people who was on the premises the night of the shooting, Lubabalo Mhlawuli, who is an assistant at the tavern, said they were still socialising when he heard gunshots.
“I immediately hid under the table. I did not even see how many people came in. How can you check what is going on when you are scared for your life?”
He said he only got out after the criminals had left the premises.
“As I got out under the table I saw injured people who sustained gun wounds. One of them lost her finger after it was shot. Two people died on the scene while the other five sustained gun wounds. Some are still fighting for their lives in hospital,” said Mhlawuli.
Margate said business has not been the same since the shooting because customers are still in shock.
“Business is slowly going back to normal, however, the number of people who visit the tavern is lower than normal because they are still scared. On other days I would spot some customers entering the premises but as they are about to enter inside the tavern they turn back,” she said.
Margate said this also affects the business citing that it is the worst time for business.
“This month we did not even pay our DSTV subscription. We are worried about meeting operational costs.”
She said the suspect is unknown to her, but she heard some of the customers saying he usually visited the tavern on Mondays to see his friend.
According to Motaung, police promised to provide the family with counselling and later included everyone present during the shooting.
“Police took our contact details and said they would call as to start with counselling, but it never happened.”
Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said counselling will be provided by the Green Door volunteers.
When Kathrous MAIL followed up with Katlehong Green Door ambassador Gugu Mofokeng, she said she has not received any communication from the SAPS.
Developments since the shooting
A suspect identified as an EMPD officer was arrested in connection with the tavern shooting on July 22 and appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on July 25.
He was released due to a lack of enough evidence to prosecute him.
According to a police statement compiled by Katlehong South SAPS Constable Sivenkosi Mtwa, the shooting occurred on July 8 at approximately 22:00, whereby two people were left dead and four wounded by unknown males.
“It is alleged that four unknown males entered the tavern at Kwanele, one with a firearm in his possession, and he started firing shots at the direction of patriots who were inside the tavern,” he said.
Mtwa said police found 19 cartridges and 13 live ammunition at the scene.
Muridili said there is no update on the case.
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