Unlicensed Saulsville Tavern Owner Faces Charges After Deadly Mass Shooting

Early on Saturday, tragedy struck a makeshift tavern in Saulsville, west of Pretoria, when three suspected gunmen burst in and opened fire on about 25 patrons. In the chaos that followed, 12 people lost their lives.

Though the suspects remain at large, authorities say they’ve identified who they believe committed the atrocity — but insisted the owner of the unlicensed female-run tavern must also be held accountable.

The woman who owned the facility — a converted living room inside the W2 hostel, sectioned off from sleeping quarters with cardboard — was herself shot during the attack. She is currently hospitalised but has survived.

Legal action against the unlicensed tavern operator

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS) National Commissioner Fannie Masemola, the woman has now been formally charged, not for the shooting itself but for operating an illicit tavern without a valid liquor licence.

“We have also charged the owner of the room, who is one of the injured and is in hospital, for operating a tavern without a valid liquor license,” she said.

Her cosy room — transformed into a drinking venue — reportedly used cardboard panels to divide it from the bedroom.

Investigators say the attackers not only targeted patrons in the main room but went further: they reportedly forced their way into the back bedroom and opened fire, killing children aged three, 12 and 16.

Crackdown on illegal shebeens intensifies in Saulsville

Commissioner Masemola stressed that the manhunt for the shooters remains active. However, she rejected criticism suggesting law enforcement had been negligent toward unlicensed taverns.

In the precinct covering nearby Atteridgeville, police have already shut down 101 illegal taverns since the start of the financial year on 1 April 2025 — 11 of them in just the last four weeks.

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“Our members are intensifying their operations to shut down more of these illegal establishments,” she added.

This move forms part of wider efforts to crack down on unregulated drinking spots, which authorities warn pose serious risks to public safety.

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