Another weekend, another bloodbath in an SA tavern. This time, the small town of Bronkhorstspruit – nestled within the Tshwane metro, about 60km east of Pretoria – was thrust into mourning after five people were gunned down in a packed bar in Zithobeni township.
Survivors, including the tavern owner, have shared chilling accounts of how the after-midnight attack unfolded. Yet, as the community reels, the silence from political leaders has been deafening.
Apart from a brief statement by the Gauteng legislature portfolio committee on community safety, no high-ranking officials have set foot at the scene. No fact-finding mission has been announced, no words of comfort offered, and no sign that lessons will be drawn from yet another preventable massacre.
This neglect betrays a disturbing normalisation of violence in our public spaces and taverns, in particular, have become deadly flashpoints.
We must be honest: SA’s tavern culture is deeply entwined with its social fabric, but taverns have also become sites of tragedy. Police crime statistics repeatedly show that murders committed in or around liquor outlets make up a significant portion of the murder rate. While the immediate response has been to call for better policing, it is clear that law enforcement alone cannot solve this crisis.
There is an urgent need to scrutinise the distribution, licensing, and regulation of taverns. In some communities, it is not uncommon to find three or four drinking establishments operating in a single street. This oversaturation breeds lawlessness, noise disputes, and, far too often, violent confrontations.
It raises the question: Are operating permits being issued responsibly? Are municipal authorities assessing the suitability of locations before granting licences? Or has the business of selling alcohol become so lucrative that safety and social effect are secondary concerns? The harm to the social fabric brought by the taverns can also be seen through licensed establishments operating in front of, or around the corner from, schools and churches.
What happened in Zithobeni should be a wake-up call. The proliferation of taverns in densely populated areas without proper oversight is not merely a local problem – it is a national policy failure. It points to the failure by the state to run its affairs with diligence, to secure a peaceful and progressive environment for the residents.
The government, industry bodies, and communities must urgently come together to rethink how these establishments are managed. Until then, South Africans will continue to count their dead, weekend after weekend, in the very places meant for relaxation and social connection.
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