The spate of shootings in taverns in Soweto, Katlehong and Pietermaritzburg at the weekend do not appear to have been co-ordinated, police minister Bheki Cele said on Monday.  

Speaking to residents in Soweto, Cele said: “There is that thing [allegations] that it could have been a co-ordinated weekend. We don't have that information as police .... We had separate issues, especially the Pietermaritzburg one, Nomzamo one and the Katlehong one. They happened in shebeens, but we believe that they coincided rather than [were] co-ordinated.” 

Nor did the shootings, which claimed at least 21 lives, seem to be acts of terrorism, he said.

“We don't believe it's terrorism. It is a criminality that is brutal. It is a criminality that is violent ... Terrorism is a very high level of criminality. We will need to have some evidence, as the police, to be able to say so — otherwise we will be really speculating on a serious matter.”

Residents complained about a lack of police visibility and blamed police for failing to fight crime in the area. Most complained that the area was very dark at night, with muggings increasing. 

Wandile Rafuza said guns were ringing like fireworks.

“When we report these issues at the police station, police in Orlando say they don't go to the settlement in the evening because they are being shot at,” he said.

Residents told Cele to account and help decrease crime in their area.

Cele confirmed that most of those killed or wounded at the taverns were from KwaZulu-Natal.

“The big number comes from there,” he said, describing the events as a “bloody weekend”.

Gauteng provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela said: “[Police] Intelligence is hard at work in the province. All our operations are intelligence-led. It doesn't mean that if they miss this one, intelligence doesn't exist. It does exist. It does feed us with information.

“The more we reveal a lot, we are actually empowering the criminals. They will forever counter whatever we want to do, so some of the tactical details we will prefer not to share,” he added.

Cele promised residents police visibility would be increased and they would conduct operations and search for firearms in informal settlements.

“There will be no time given to anybody when we start with these operations. We will go house to house and we will definitely be there.”

He was accompanied by deputy minister Cassel Mathale, Gauteng MEC for community safety Faith Mazibuko, national police commissioner Lt-Gen Fannie Masemola, Mawela and Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse.

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