Video footage of alleged Soweto tavern shooters in hands of police, car ‘may have been traced to KZN’

Gauteng community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko says police have obtained video footage of the five gunmen believed to be responsible for the Soweto tavern shooting.

Police minister Bheki Cele has disclosed that a car involved in the incident may have been traced to KwaZulu-Natal. He said the investigations were sensitive and he could not reveal too much information at this stage.

This comes after Mazibuko revealed the death toll in the mass shooting at Mdlalose’s tavern in Nomzamo informal settlement had risen to 16. Mazibuko visited the area on Tuesday for a prayer meeting with the families of victims.

She told eNCA: “Here in Nomzamo they’ve been able to get some footage.

“Not everyone goes to sleep. Even if you try to do something there might be an eye somewhere looking at you. The footage will help the police find the gunmen.”

TimesLIVE reported Mazibuko said: “Police are working flat out to ensure they bring the perpetrators to book. The team has gathered a lot of information that will assist them to make arrests.”

She added that the provincial government was assisting the families of victims. 

“The bodies of most of the deceased might be going to KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. We will work together with long-distance taxis associations because they need transport. Avbob has come on board to assist with burials.”

LISTEN | Cele says 137 spent cartridges were found after Soweto tavern massacre

On Wednesday Cele told 702 host Clement Manyathela: “I will be very jealous to give extra information at the moment, but it does look like we have taken a few steps forward on the matter. I just hope that my thinking is wrong at the moment.”

Referring to many of the tavern patrons hailing from KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, he said: “Somebody talks about that, they came from that province KwaZulu-Natal. Maybe you will remember or you will know there is quite a lot of linkage between the problem of crime in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.”

For example, people were killed at Jabulani hostel.

When asked whether he was implying people were possibly brought from KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape to carry out the murders, he said no.

“I am not saying so. I am saying we have experienced a lot of linkage on the crimes of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. So what has been said to me in the present is that it looks like the car was traced in that province, that was seen there.”

That was the only information he could share for now.

“I will be very wary to say I am beginning to link, but history does tell us,” he said.

When asked about the video footage from the Soweto tavern, Cele said it was sensitive: “They [police] said to me they have made two steps forward and they are really urging that for now, let's end there.”

TimesLIVE

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