‘I don’t know how I survived tavern shooting'

For 10 minutes *Andile squeezed his body underneath the pool table at Mdlalose’s Tavern in Orlando East, Soweto, while a man with an AK-47 stood by the door, about two metres from him, randomly shot at patrons.

As injured patrons fell on the floor next the shaken Andile, the AK-47-wielding man ran away and seconds later, two more men armed with 9mm guns walked in to finish off whoever they thought was still alive. The three gunmen then sped off, leaving behind horrific scenes that shocked the country yesterday morning. 

The shooting at Mdlalose’s Tavern left 15 people dead and eight injured. Two people were killed in another tavern shooting in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, on Friday night and four others in another shebeen hit in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday night. This brought the total number of deaths to 21 while 20 people sustained gunshot wounds from the three incidents.

Andile said as the men randomly fired shots inside the tavern, the blaring amapiano song did not stop playing from the speakers until the men fled the scene. He said it was by luck that he survived as the gunmen intended to kill everyone inside the tavern.

“I was playing pool when I heard gunshots. As I lifted my head, I saw a man with an AK-47 randomly shooting at everyone. I immediately went under the pool table and pretended to be dead.

“The gunshots went on for sometime. Two more men carrying shotguns came in and continued to shoot people that were on the ground. I don’t know how I survived, but I will never forget what I saw,” he said.

Once the assailant left, Andile crawled up to the tavern counter to escape. He found the tavern manager hiding behind the wall.

“The floor was covered with blood and injured bodies. Some of the bodies lay on top of each other as I tried to sneak out. I was scared of going towards the main door, so I went towards the cashier window and tried to force my way behind the counter.

“That’s when I realised that the manager was on the other side. We used his phone to call for help,” he said.

Fifteen male patrons between the ages of 19 and 35 were confirmed dead yesterday afternoon at the tavern. Eight others between the ages of 31 and 33 were admitted at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital with bullet wounds.

Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela and MEC for community safety Faith Mazibuko arrived at the tavern to assess the situation.

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“We can confirm that high-calibre weapons were used at this crime scene. The motive for the shooting is not yet known. Early investigation reports suggest that a group of men responsible for this massacre fled the scene in a Quantum taxi,” said Mawela.

While Mawela addressed the media, mortuary vans drove through large crowd to collect the deceased. From across the road, shocked residents could see limbs protruding through the tavern’s sliding gate. Some of the injured patrons managed to flee but collapsed in the tavern’s yard. By midday, the community was still trying to establish the identities of the deceased.

Mondli Ndlangisa was among the crowd but it had been confirmed that his two brothers, aged 22 and 24, had died in the shooting.

“I can’t describe the pain I am feeling. I am heartbroken. The sad part is that I still need to inform my family in Mdantsane [Eastern Cape] about what has happened to my brothers. This is really painful,” said Ndlangisa, who was flanked by his neighbours.

According to Orlando East residents, the affected area has been without electricity for three weeks due to cable theft. The tavern has been using a generator to keep operating. Residents said it was dangerous to walk on foot in the area when night falls.

“Everyday you will hear the sound of a gun in this area, but yesterday’s sound was different. I thought it was firecrackers but when I heard the loud screams, I suspected that something bad had happened. I came to check hours later only to be told that one of my friends is among the dead,” said resident Mduduzi Mbatha.

Similar scenes played out at Mputlane Inn Tavern in Katlehong on Friday night when three men stormed the tavern and shot at patrons, killing two. It is suspected the attack was a hit on one of the patrons.

“I was sitting with a friend when I heard gunshots. When I looked up, I then heard one of the guys asking Sibusiso where the gun he said he had was. They shot him and one of the guys shot towards us. I pulled my friend to get under the table and heard more gunshots. After they left, it took us a while to get up from under the table because we were so scared,” said a witness.

When Sowetan visited the scene, the tavern was not allowing customers to sit in and drink. Customers were allowed take-aways. “We have to observe this mourning period and allow the families to come do their rituals and take the spirits of their loved ones,” said owner Margaret Motaung, 62, who has been operating the outlet for over 12 years.​

National Liquor Traders Association council convener Lucky Ntimane said the organisation is concerned about the targeting of taverns and the security of traders and patrons.

“The apparent targeting of a tavern in Nomzamo is of grave concern and the perpetrators must be brought to book swiftly to prevent any further action. The targeting of taverns is particularly concerning as they provide social enjoyment for many people, and this incident puts further pressure on the sector which has been hit hard during the Covid lockdowns,” said Ntimane.

∗ Not his real name