WATCH | Residents gripped by fear after mass shooting kills 12 in east Joburg

Residents of Jumpers Informal Settlement have described how they mistook gunshots, that rang through the area and left 12 people dead, for fireworks, until they heard screaming.

Ten other people were wounded in the shooting in east Johannesburg on Tuesday night.

Police were still combing the scene on Wednesday afternoon looking for clues.

The residents, who said they were still fearful for their lives, reported that they heard the sounds some time after 8pm.

Eunice Sithole, an elderly resident who lives close to one of the crime scenes, said she initially thought the gunshots were fireworks.

“I was sleeping when it happened. I initially thought someone was on the roof, and then I heard what sounded like fireworks hitting my roof and my neighbour’s roof.

“It wasn’t until I listened more carefully and heard people screaming that I realised it was gunfire. I immediately dived under my bed to hide. I was too scared,” Sithole said.

“I’ve lived here for a long time, but I didn’t know the people who were shot. I know it happened at a tavern. It is not the first time this has happened. In 2025, they shot and killed a woman who was my neighbour.”

Sithole said she feared for her safety and was unsure whether she would feel safe sleeping at night. “I’m really scared. As you see me standing here, I’m thinking, ‘what if it happens to me next’?

“We don’t really know what happened here or what those people were involved in. What if they come back? I’m afraid to sleep at night,” she said.

Another resident, 38-year-old Gibson Fakude, said residents barely slept because of the constant violence and danger in the community.

Fakude said the community is traumatised by the attack.

“We started hearing what we thought were fireworks at about 8:40 in the evening and didn’t take it seriously.

“There were different sounds, so we didn’t immediately realise it was gunfire. As the shooting continued, the community became frightened because we realised these were gunshots,” he said.

Fakude said the gunfire continued for more than 10 minutes.

“When we woke up, we found that there had indeed been a shooting,” he said. “We have experienced similar incidents before. It keeps happening. This isn’t the first time because we often hear gunshots, but it has never been at this level of death,” he said.

“I think they are fighting over illegal mining. The conflict is about control of the mining shafts.”

He said fear had become part of daily life for many residents. “I pray every day because you sleep with uncertainty. Before I sleep, I pray and ask God to protect me because even the police can’t help us.

“When the police came, it was already over. They heard the gunshots because the police station is nearby, but they did not come immediately,” he alleged.

Police have since recovered a hard drive that investigators hope will assist in determining the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni said: “This shooting could be linked to illegal mining activities or people living in the area.

“From what I observed, perhaps two or three of the victims were found in what appeared to be an area used for processing materials related to illegal mining”.

Sowetan