Bekkersdal tavern shooting: Court case against five suspects postponed to January

The legal case against five men charged with possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition has been postponed to January 5, after their case was rolled over for a legal aid application.

This development follows their abandonment of a bail application on Tuesday.

Some of the suspects, who are Lesotho nationals, are also accused of Contravention of the Immigration Act.

Their identities are still being withheld as they're yet to undergo an ID parade, which may help determine their connection to the Bekkersdal tavern mass shooting.

These five suspects are among 11 individuals arrested in connection with the mass shooting at the KwaNoxolo Tavern on Christmas Eve.

This, while the other six are yet to be formally charged. The five were charged with having live ammunition, having unlicensed firearms, and defeating the ends of justice.

All 11 suspects are believed to be connected to illegal mining activities, colloquially known as zama zama operations, which were intercepted by law enforcement agencies who were engaged in random searches aimed at mitigating the threats posed by armed illegal miners operating in the Westonaria area.

During these operations, law enforcement officials recovered an alarming arsenal of weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, four pistols, and a substantial cache of ammunition. Notably, eight of the 11 suspects were taken into custody inside two residential properties after security personnel stormed the locations, uncovering three unlicensed firearms loaded with magazines and a suspicious bottle believed to contain mercury.

Two other suspects were apprehended on the streets nearby, one clutching an AK-47 with 31 rounds, and another with a pistol loaded with four additional rounds.

Last week, Gauteng Deputy Police Commissioner, Major General Fred Kekana, revealed that patrons were forced to scramble for safety when 12 gunmen, some of them wearing balaclavas, opened fire at a tavern in the Bekkersdal informal settlement, west of Johannesburg, killing nine and injuring 10 others. 

“Out of the blue, unprovoked, they attacked, randomly shot people. Some of the people tried to run away,” Kekana stated.

Meanwhile, on Monday, appearing separately, KwaNoxolo tavern owner, Nanesi Matwa, who faces charges of operating without a liquor licence, has had her matter postponed to December 31, 2025, for profiling.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za