The killing of the clients at an underground bar in Saulsville, a suburb of Pretoria, has a shocking resemblance to the South African peoples” fight against the violence which has become their daily life. The shooting happened on a Saturday night, about midnight, There were three masked men who went into the bar and opened fire at the customers indiscriminately; the bar was just a place for drinking illegally or “shebeen.”
The casualties include a 3-year-old boy, a 12-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old girl; it is, no doubt, an extremely tiny portion of the entire nightmare that violence has been causing. 25 individuals were hit, 14 of whom were seriously injured and taken to hospital in very critical condition. The reason for the killers” heinous acts still remains unanswered, and the police are carrying out an intense manhunt for the gunmen.
Illegal Shebeens and Crime Epidemic in South Africa
The situation brings out two major issues that are connected together and that are greatly affecting the country: the increase in unregulated liquor shops and the unending crime problem. There have been several such cases where shooting happened in an unlicensed place, as in this case.
According to police, these unauthorized places are usually very violent and the general public often suffers from it because they happen to be near the fight. One of the main issues is that it is very difficult for law enforcement to monitor these secret places, and this adds up to their problems in trying to prevent attacks like these.
Homicide Rates and Child Victims
It is said that South Africa still has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, recording thousands of murders each year—over 70 on average every day. These killings are mostly committed with guns, which are the leading cause of death in homicides. Illegal weapons have been a problem even in the presence of relatively strict gun control laws.
The murder of the three child victims aged 3, 12, and 16 is a horrifying reminder of how violence is present in all parts of society, with the most vulnerable being the poorest people most affected by it.
This tragedy not only counts toward the already very short list of statistics about children dying as a result of violence but also calls for an urgent, multi-faceted intervention that should include the illegal gun trade and the unlicensed liquor industry.
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A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
