Mpumalanga tavern shut down after mass shooting as police mum on motive

The Mpumalanga tavern where eight people lost their lives in a mass shooting has been ordered to close for 30 days, as police continue their investigation.

The tragic shooting occurred at the liquor outlet in Pienaar, outside Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit), around 4:00am on 11 January.

Six victims were killed at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

Three additional individuals were wounded during the attack.

Suspects linked to Mpumalanga tavern shooting arrested

Mpumalanga police arrested Bongani Patrick Nkosi, 39, in Pienaar on Sunday night.

During the 39-year-old man’s arrest, law enforcement officers found a firearm and 13 rounds of ammunition in his possession.

Nkosi appeared in the Kabokweni Magistrate’s Court, with his case postponed to January 21 for a formal bail application.

A second suspect, aged 43, was arrested on Tuesday.

The authorities also confiscated three pistols during this operation. The suspect will appear in court soon.

Details of Mpumalanga tavern shooting

Acting Mpumalanga Police Commissioner Zeph Mkhwanazi addressed the media on Wednesday, revealing new details about the shooting.

Mkhwanazi stated that an unknown gunman initially arrived at the tavern and fired shots into the air before leaving and returning with two VW Polos.

Two suspects then emerged and began shooting at the vehicles, killing six people—three in each car.

Mkhwanazi clarified that the initial gunman died later in hospital, not at the scene.

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Although speculation has linked the shooting to gang activity, Mkhwanazi refrained from confirming this, emphasising the need for thorough investigations.

“If we release everything on that position, we can definitely lose a lot,” he cautioned.

“We are actually going forward with our investigation. It can happen that we can pick up other [suspects] as well, but up to so far that’s where we are, and we’re going to move from that position.”

Watch the briefing below:

Tavern owner penalised

The tavern owner had previously been fined during the festive season in December for operating beyond the permitted hours under the Mpumalanga Liquor Licensing Act.

“We made it clear that it must be closed at the right time,” Mkhwanazi said.

Following the recent incident, the owner received another fine, and the establishment was ordered to close temporarily.

“We are going to monitor this [situation] in [those] 30 days and see how the whole situation ends up.”

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On Tuesday, Economic Development and Tourism MEC Makhosazane Masilela had directed the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator to verify compliance information related to the tavern.

Masilela assured the public that strict action would be taken if further violations were identified.

She also called for severe consequences for the perpetrators, saying, “They must rot in jail”.

Community and safety concerns

Meanwhile, Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Jackie Macie said the shooting was not linked to similar incidents elsewhere in the country.

“We treat it as a separate incident that happened,” he stated.

Macie acknowledged that gangsterism is prevalent in Pienaar but assured the community of ongoing efforts to address the issue.

“We are not going to shy away to say the element of gangs [is not there], hence all hands are on deck to get rid of that,” the MEC added.

Despite the shooting, Macie noted there were no significant incidents reported at the Pienaar Police Station during the festive season.

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