A suspect linked to the Atteridgeville mass shooting has abandoned his bid for bail and will remain behind bars until his next court appearance.
The man, who has not been identified because he is yet to plead on the charges against him, appeared before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on a charge of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
Court appearance
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the accused will return to court on Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
“The accused abandoned his bail application, and the matter has been postponed to the 19th of February 2026, and he is remanded in custody until then. Tomorrow, he will appear again in [the] Atteridgeville [Magistrates Court] where he is facing 12 counts of murder and 13 counts of attempted murder.”
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Manhunt
Last week, a joint operation involving Gauteng and Limpopo police arrested the accused, one of the three suspects of interest, in Polokwane, Limpopo.
Mathe said a manhunt is still underway for the two suspects who are still on the run.
On Tuesday, Mathe confirmed that a ballistic report linked a seized firearm to the Atteridgeville mass shooting.
“Following ballistics testing, police can now confirm that the firearm seized by police during the arrest of this suspect has been positively linked to the crime scene in Atteridgeville.
Mass shooting
At least 12 people died, and another 13 were reported to have been injured in the horrific shooting at a hostel in Saulsville, Atteridgeville in Pretoria, in the early hours of Saturday morning, 6 December 2025.
The three gunmen entered the premises and started randomly shooting. Among the dead is a three-year-old. A 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl also died. The shebeen’s owner was among the survivors.
It is understood that the incident occurred at a home used as an informal tavern.
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