Pretoria – A 32-year-old man accused of partaking in the Saulsville tavern mass shooting made a brief appearance at the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court before he was remanded in custody.
The suspect is from Limpopo.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Gauteng Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the accused was facing 12 counts of murder and 13 counts of attempted murder.
The accused, who has not been named, appeared in court on Wednesday, 24 December 2025.
“It is alleged that in the early hours of 6 December 2025, at approximately 04:00 am, the accused was at a tavern in Saulsville Hostel, where he and his two accomplices allegedly shot and killed 12 people and attempted to kill 13 others,” the NPA spokesperson said.
“After an intensive investigation by the police, the accused was arrested on 22 December 2025 in Polokwane, Limpopo, while he was already in custody for an unrelated matter.”
The matter was postponed to 31 December 2025 for bail investigations.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng Provincial Government has commended the South African Police Service for its coordinated and relentless enforcement effort, which led to the identification, tracking, and arrest of the suspect.
In a statement made available to The Bulrushes, Gauteng Provincial Government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said: “This arrest is a critical breakthrough in the investigation into the attack of 6 December 2025, which claimed the lives of 12 innocent people, including a three-year-old child, and left 13 others injured”.
