A horrific mass shooting at an unlicensed tavern in South Africa has left a community in mourning after gunmen killed twelve people, including three young children. The attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday, December 6, 2025, at a bar inside a hostel in Saulsville township, west of the administrative capital, Pretoria.
Details of the Saulsville Township Attack
The violence erupted just after 4:15 a.m. when three unidentified male suspects entered the drinking establishment and opened fire randomly on patrons. Police were only alerted to the incident around 6 a.m., leading to a significant response delay.
Ten victims died at the scene, with two more succumbing to their injuries in the hospital, bringing the final death toll to twelve. Among the deceased were three children: a 3-year-old boy, a 12-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old girl. An additional thirteen people were wounded and are currently receiving hospital treatment.
A Family and Community Shattered
The attack has devastated the Khanyile family, who suffered the most casualties. Of the fourteen people wounded, eight are members of this single family, which also lost the three children. Family members revealed the children were asleep when the assailants stormed the venue.
Sabelo Khanyile, whose sister owns the tavern and was shot three times, stated she is responding well to treatment but that the family has no insight into the motive for the shooting. Another relative, Sandile Khanyile, expressed the family's trauma and fear, saying, "We're sleeping at my sister's house, but we're scared someone's watching us and might come after us next." The family, originally from Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal, is now focused on supporting their hospitalized loved ones.
Official Condemnation and Crackdown on Illegal Taverns
Authorities have universally condemned the brutal attack. Tshwane Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Safety, Hannes Coetzee, expressed deep sorrow and outrage, particularly at the death of a three-year-old. He directly linked the violence to the venue's status, noting that preliminary information indicates it was an unlicensed liquor establishment.
Gauteng Premier Lesufi described the murders as heartbreaking and unacceptable, vowing not to allow communities to live in fear. He emphasized that illegal shebeens often become safe havens for criminals and promised intensified operations against both legal and illegal alcohol outlets to ensure law compliance.
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety cited the incident as evidence of the dangerous proliferation of illegal firearms. South African Police Service (SAPS) national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe provided context, revealing that between April and September 2025, police shut down nearly 12,000 unlicensed liquor outlets nationwide and made over 18,676 related arrests.
Police investigations are ongoing, with forensic and ballistics experts on the scene and detectives from the Serious and Violent Crime Unit working to determine a motive.
