Witness details deadly Sandton restaurant shootout that killed three people and left four injured

The popular Solo restaurant in Sandton, Johannesburg, turned into a crime scene on Thursday night 6 March, when a deadly shooting claimed the lives of three people and left four others injured.

SAPS spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the incident occurred when a man tried to enter the establishment with a firearm, which was against the restaurant’s firearm policy. A shootout ensued between the man’s two bodyguards and the establishment’s security.

“Two of the bodyguards were declared dead on scene, while five victims (the man, two patrons, a Community Policing Forum (CPF) member and a security guard) were taken to hospital with gunshot injuries, and the man succumbed to his injuries at the hospital,” Nevhuhulwi said.

Daily Maverick visited the scene on Friday morning, where private security, forensic services and police officers gathered outside the taped-off entrance of the restaurant. They refused to engage with the media.

Suspected identity of the deceased

News24 and Sunday World reported that the man who tried to enter the restaurant with the firearm and subsequently succumbed to his gunshot wounds at the hospital was local business man Spamandla Mabonga, also known as Bongani Maocuana.

According to News24, citing a police report, Sandton Commercial Crime Unit officers responded to a complaint at the restaurant that someone was trying to enter “by force”. Mabonga allegedly agreed to give his firearm to a bodyguard before an altercation broke out and gunfire ensued.

While the identities of the deceased have yet to be released by the authorities, Mabonga has been involved in shooting incidents in the past.

Crime scene investigators inspect a car that was shot during the incident. (Photo: Lerato Mutsila)

Mabonga was arrested in January 2024 following a shootout at Tempo nightclub, also in Sandton. He had to be treated in hospital after he was shot in the ribs after an argument broke out with another patron.

In an official statement, Colonel Nevhuhulwi said the preliminary investigation revealed that the man who started the incident at Solo had previously been arrested for a shooting incident, also in Sandton, last year. 

Speaking to Daily Maverick about the veracity of the claims that Mabonga was the man shot outside Solo, Brigadier Brenda Muridili would only mention that the accused had a previous case against him: “I’m only aware of one case with two counts of attempted murder. Still waiting for information on when the case was last in court,” she said.

The police said the investigation into the case of murder and attempted murder was ongoing, and no arrests had been made at this stage.

In a statement on Friday, the Sandton CPF said it “confirms that one of its members was shot and injured after responding to an incident in Sandton last night. Whilst the member has requested their details not be shared publicly, we can advise that they are in stable condition in hospital. This is an ongoing investigation and SAPS will provide official statements regarding the incident.”

‘Surreal experience’

A black Audi, which had bullet holes in the rear windscreen, was parked in front of Solo.

Speaking to Daily Maverick, the owner of the car, Manave Singh, detailed what he witnessed on Thursday night.

Singh was at a neighbouring establishment when the shooting occurred.

“I was next door at Greenhouse when suddenly we just heard gunshots. We hid behind the DJ booth, and then maybe 10 minutes passed by when there were more gunshots. I then saw a police officer run past with a rifle,” Singh said.

When it was safe to finally leave Greenhouse, Singh said that the parking lot was swarming with police and there were two bodies on the ground, one lying by his car.

“There is still a bullet in the back of my car. It was such a surreal thing to experience,” he said.

Singh said that while he was shaken after the incident, he was doing fine.

Sandton patron Cathy Fischer said on Friday morning: “It is very difficult to accept that such violent scenes could play out like that. It is time to tighten our gun laws.”

“Imagine so many people’s lives put in danger. Something needs to be done to protect the unassuming public,” Fischer said. DM