A mass shooting at a Saulsville hostel in Atteridgeville left 12 people dead and 13 injured on December 6, 2025, amid rivalries between extortion gangs. Police have arrested one suspect who confessed to the crime, linking it to a fractured gang from 2023. The suspect appeared in court facing multiple murder charges.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of December 6, 2025, when three gunmen entered a tavern inside the Saulsville hostel in Atteridgeville, a township west of Pretoria, and opened fire indiscriminately around 4 a.m. Among the victims were a three-year-old child of the illegal shebeen owner, as well as minors aged 12 and 16. Ten people died at the scene, with two more succumbing to injuries in hospital, bringing the death toll to 12 and injuries to 13.
Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni described the shooting as part of a complex web of violence tied to extortion gang rivalries. He noted that the gang splintered in 2023 after its main leader was killed, leading to factions clashing. Preceding the mass shooting, there were murder and attempted murder incidents on December 3, with one victim dying on December 5. "It's a complex issue, as I have indicated. In 2023, there was one leader who was the main leader of this group. When he was shot and killed, a splinter group was formed. On the third, one of the leaders of this splinter group was shot," Mthombeni told media outside the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court.
The shooting reportedly stemmed from gang members seeking another individual but discovering a friend had been killed. A joint operation by South African Police Service units from Gauteng and Limpopo led to the arrest of one suspect in Polokwane on December 21. He was found with a firearm and ammunition, which ballistics tests linked to the crime scene. SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed the connection, and the suspect confessed to involvement.
The suspect, whose identity remains protected pending an identification parade, appeared first in Polokwane court on December 30 for unlawful possession charges, then in Atteridgeville on December 31 facing 12 counts of murder and 13 of attempted murder. The case was postponed to February 23, 2026, with potential links to related matters. A manhunt continues for the two other suspects. Community members in court expressed frustration, with one saying, “We need to see justice work today, we are tired of these people doing as they please.”
