Gauteng SAPS Arrests KwaNoxolo Tavern Owner for Operating Bekkersdal Establishment With Fake License
- The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng effected one arrest in relation to the KwaNoxolo tavern in Bekkersdal
- Major General Fred Kekana confirmed that police received feedback from the Liquor Board regarding the tavern's license
- The owner, Nanesi Matwa, handed police her license for the business following a fatal shooting at the premises
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – The KwaNoxolo tavern in Bekkersdal, where 10 people were killed in a mass shooting, did not have a valid license to sell liquor.
That’s according to Gauteng Deputy Provincial Commissioner, Major General Fred Kekana. General Kekana made the statement on 23 December 2025 outside the tavern, where police were confiscating the alcohol.
Nine people were shot dead at the establishment on 21 December 2025, while 10 others received treatment in hospital for their injuries. One of those 10 has since passed away as well.
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The motive for the shooting is not yet known, but police revealed that approximately 12 armed men arrived at the premises and opened fire on patrons. The men, who wore balaclavas, arrived in two vehicles. They also continued firing at the patron as they tried to escape the carnage.
Tavern owner arrested by police
Following the announcement, police arrested the owner of the tavern, Nanesi Matwa. Matwa was arrested after it was discovered that the license she presented to the police was fraudulent.
She gave the police the license following the shooting, as investigations got underway into the tragedy. General Kekana said police approached the Liquor Board, which confirmed on 23 December that it was a fake license.
Kekana noted that the checks took longer than expected because the license was such a good copy. Police then arrested Matwa for operating an illegal tavern and lying to police. The alcohol was also seized, in Matwa's presence, before she was taken away in the back of a police vehicle.
Source: Getty Images
What you need to know about the mass shooting
- A criminology expert warned that unlicensed taverns have become a major site of violent crimes.
- One of the victims of the Bekkersdal tavern shooting, which took place on 21 December 2025, lost their life in hospital.
- The owner of the KwaNoxolo tavern in Bekkersdal spoke about how traumatised she was following the horrific shooting.
- The South African Police Service in Gauteng identified two suspects in connection with the Bekkersdal tavern mass shooting.
- Residents in Bekkersdal voiced suspicions that the attackers may be linked to illegal mining activities operating in and around the area.
Foreign nationals arrested for Bekkersdal tavern shooting
Briefly News reported that 11 men were apprehended at two locations in Bekkersdal in connection with the mass shooting.
The men, 10 of whom are foreign nationals, were arrestedfor the shooting at the tavern, which left 10 people dead, on 21 December 2025.
South Africans weighed in on the arrests, with many social media users expressing frustration with the situation.
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Source: Briefly News
