Two men who were held in connection with the shooting at a tavern in Sweetwaters, Pietermaritzburg, on Saturday night, where four people were killed, have been released from custody.
A police source close to the investigation said charges were withdrawn as there wasn’t sufficient evidence linking them to the crime and as a result, they were released from police custody.
“Two men were taken in for questioning and were later released,” Lieutenant Colonel Nxobile Gwala, the police spokesperson said.
It is understood that the pair, who were arrested on Monday, were seen leaving the tavern shortly after the shootings.
She could not disclose any more information, saying that the investigations are at a very sensitive stage. “The matter is still under investigation.
Pietermaritzburg tavern owner Hendry Ngubane, the owner of Hendry’s tavern, who has been operating his business since 1998, said he is not afraid of criminals and that blaming tavern owners for the mass shootings and violence was unfair.
“In general, it has nothing to do with taverns. They are soft targets, but the issue here is crime and the government dealing with crime. Crime has a lot to do with intelligence and punishment. Are police picking up the people with AK-47s with them?” Ngubane asked.
He said the government “needs to tighten up on crime, not tavern owners”. He added: “At the end of the day, the people are looking to the government to look after everyone’s interests, including tavern owners,” Ngubane said.