Police search for third gunman in Philippi shebeen massacre

Two suspects remain in custody after January shooting that killed eight people and injured two others.

Two men accused of killing eight people and injuring two others in a shooting at a shebeen in Philippi East appeared together in court for the first time on Thursday, while police continue searching for a third suspect.¹²

Nkcubeo Libala and Bheki Manxiwa are alleged to be two of three gunmen who entered a shebeen in the Marikana informal settlement on 17 January, robbed patrons of cellphones and cash, and then shot at the owner and customers, according to the state's case.¹²

Manxiwa was arrested a week after the incident, while Libala was arrested on 20 February.¹² At the Athlone Magistrates' Court on Thursday, both men were ordered to remain in custody until June while the state finalises its investigation.¹²

Police believe the shooting may be linked to extortion.¹² Street vendors and businesses in Marikana have faced demands to pay protection fees or face violence, a practice that has become commonplace in the area, according to police.¹²

A Marikana resident who attended the court proceedings said the shebeen closed for a few weeks after the shooting but has since reopened.¹² The resident said another similar shooting at a shebeen had occurred since the January incident.¹²

A police statement from 8 March reported that four people were shot dead and one injured in a yard in a shooting by two gunmen.²

The resident said crime remained high in Marikana despite the deployment of army personnel to the area.¹²