Lentswe, Kanana - Days after the mass shooting in the Two for Joy Tavern in Ext 13, puddles of dry blood on the tavern floor tell the story of a horrific episode that will haunt this township for months to come.
Eight people were killed and a dozen more injured when gunmen entered the tavern just before midnight on Friday July 26. They were looking for Basotho and then opened fire on the revellers bringing the party at Two for Joy to a bloody end.
According to eyewitnesses it was pandemonium as people ran away trying to escape the bullets. Bodies were strewn over the floor and some even slipped on the blood, an eyewitness told the media. People wanted to speak anonymously, because they are afraid.
“Kanana is a dangerous place. There is gun shots every night. We are afraid, they will come and kill us in our homes.’’
Early morning on Saturday July 27, the news of the massacre was announced by North West police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabatha Mokgwabone. He said a senior team was assembled to investigate the deadly shooting. SAPS appealed to the public for information that could lead to arrests.
Preliminary investigation indicates that five men entered the tavern. “They refused to be searched at the entrance and a scuffle ensued. On entering the tavern, lights were switched off and random shots were fired, as some of the patrons scampered out. The gunmen then took the CCTV system, cash from the till and a snooker table. They also robbed patrons of their cell phones before they fled the scene,’’ Mokgwabone said. The motive for the attack is unknown.
The MEC for the NW Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng accompanied by Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Sello Kwena and Matlosana Executive Mayor, Fikile Mahlophe visited the scene of the crime and met some of the bereaved families. Of the deceased four are South Africans and two are from Mozambique and Lesotho respectively, six men and two women.
On Monday 29 July, after the news was received that the police arrested four suspects, two of the deceased were identified as employees of the Matlosana Municipality, Ben Ntlanganiso Yawa and Mojalefa Zachia Mosia. Another one of the deceased worked as a security guard at the tavern.
The suspects are fa-cing charges of murder, attempted murder and unlawful possession of ammunition. Brig Mokgwabone did not want to reveal their identities due to the ongoing investigation. He said they were likely to also face charges relating to contravention of the Immigration Act. All four of them are Lesotho nationals. They appeared in the Orkney Magistrates Court on Tuesday July 30 and the case was postponed to Wednesday August 7.
Mayor Mahlophe welcomed the arrest of the four men. “This incident once more gives us a shattering impression of the lawlessness with which criminal elements terrorise our residents and society. The senseless shoot out of people must be brought to an end as a matter of urgency,” he said.
