Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read | 11 December 2025

📸 Gauteng reels after deadly hostel shooting as officials warn illegal guns are turning the province into an “everyday crime scene.”

South Africans are reeling after a deadly mass shooting at the Sulzville hostel outside Pretoria left 11 people dead, including a three-year-old child and minors aged 12 and 16, with 14 others wounded. The tragedy, which unfolded at an illegal shebeen over the weekend, has intensified calls for urgent action as Gauteng faces what officials describe as an escalating, everyday crime crisis.

The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has sounded the alarm, with its chairperson, Dr Bandile Masuku, warning that gun-related crime is spiralling at a deeply concerning rate.

“It is very concerning and it’s one of the major reasons that as the committee we have turned our attention to gun violence,” Masuku said. He added that the committee is demanding detailed reporting from SAPS on gun-related crimes, firearm registry compliance, and the retrieval and destruction of illegal weapons.

The devastating incident has also raised difficult questions about the presence of young children at the illegal tavern. Masuku noted that unlicensed drinking establishments remain a critical challenge:

“There are a number of them, Operation Okae Molao, especially over weekends, focuses on illegal taverns. We have raised concerns about the licensing of shebeens placed near schools and churches.”

Illegal firearms remain at the heart of the province’s violent crime crisis. Masuku highlighted several sources of illegal weapons, including smuggled firearms, previously legal guns that have slipped into criminal circulation, and weapons stolen from police, private security, and even the military.

“There is a lot of them,” he said. “The source of illegal guns is multi-sectoral  guns stolen from security personnel, police and even the army.”

The committee is working to track every retrieved illegal firearm and ensure its destruction as part of tightening oversight measures.

Masuku stressed that achieving a gun-free Gauteng remains possible but requires a united societal effort.

“We should mobilise communities, owning a gun might not resolve your problems,” he said, adding that community-based campaigns will play a key role in rebuilding trust in law enforcement while reducing the circulation of firearms.

As families mourn and communities attempt to make sense of the latest tragedy, officials emphasise that the fight against gun violence must be collective and urgent.

“It’s important that we try and limit the access to guns and also the usage and acquisition of guns,” Masuku concluded.

The province braces for intensifying efforts to curb illegal firearms, tighten oversight, and rebuild public safety in the face of rising violence.

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie and Dr Bandile Masuku.