Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read | 05 January 2026

📷 A rise in mass shootings has intensified calls for urgent action to tackle gun violence and strengthen policing across South Africa.

South Africa’s escalating wave of mass shootings has renewed urgent calls for decisive, coordinated action to address deep-rooted failures within the criminal justice system, as communities grapple with fear, loss and growing insecurity.

In recent weeks, the country has been rocked by a series of deadly attacks. On New Year’s Eve, four members of the same family were shot and killed in KwaZulu-Natal. This followed multiple mass shootings nationwide, including an attack at an unlicensed tavern in Saulsville, west of Pretoria, where at least 12 people were killed and 13 wounded. Among the victims were children as young as three. In another incident, nine people were killed and 10 injured at a tavern in Bekkersdal, west of Johannesburg.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Chad Thomas, CEO of IRS Forensic Investigations, described the violence as a nationwide crisis driven largely by organised crime rather than isolated or spontaneous acts. “It is a national problem,” Thomas said, noting that many of the attacks are linked to gang activity, extortion networks and illegal mining syndicates.

According to Thomas, taverns and informal entertainment spaces have become frequent targets because they offer criminals easy access to rivals. “It’s an easy place to find all of the people you’re looking for at once,” he explained, particularly in informal settlements where residents lack private spaces to gather.

Thomas stressed that prevention is possible but requires a fully capacitated criminal justice ecosystem. “If you have well-capacitated crime intelligence working together with dedicated prosecutors and detectives who can make a solid case, you’re going to see conviction rates increase,” he said.

However, he warned that systemic failures continue to undermine justice. Overcrowded prisons, under-resourced detective services and low prosecution rates are emboldening criminals. “Five percent of rape cases are solved in South Africa, [and] ten percent of murder cases are solved,” Thomas said, adding that “nine out of every ten murderers still walk the streets.”

Illegal firearms remain a major driver of the violence, with many weapons originating from old arms caches, cross-border smuggling routes and even police stockpiles. Thomas emphasised that without strong intelligence networks and functional informer systems, disrupting these supply chains remains unlikely.

Looking ahead, Thomas described 2026 as a “defining year” for South African policing, with the resumption of the Madlanga Commission and parliamentary oversight processes expected to expose long-standing failures. “There has to be a reset,” he said, warning that law enforcement has been “decimated by bad actors” over the past two decades.

As mass shootings continue to claim innocent lives, the surge in violence raises urgent questions about gun control, accountability and whether the state is doing enough to protect ordinary South Africans going about their daily lives.

Listen to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim with Annisa Essack and Chad Thomas.