At least five people were shot, and two were killed outside of Booysens Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (20 January 2026). ”If this culture of lawlessness, of total disregard for human life, is allowed to become entrenched, we will find ourselves in complete anarchy where the man with the largest gun calls the shots.” This was the reaction of Adv. Glynnis Breytenbach MP, DA Spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional Development, following the shooting incident at the Booysens Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
At least five people were shot, and two were killed. ”This attack is yet another alarming incident in a growing pattern of violent crimes occurring in and around court precincts across South Africa, spaces that should be among the most secure in the country,” Breytenbach added. She called on the minister of justice and constitutional development to account to Parliament on what concrete measures her department is implementing to ensure the safety of court users, officials, and the public.
inister of justice and constitutional development to account to Parliament on what concrete measures her department is implementing to ensure the safety of court users, officials, and the public. In a media statement, theMinistry of Justice and Constitutional Developmentsaid it had learned with serious concern of the shooting, which occurred on Tuesday, 20 January 2026. “The incident is still active, and law enforcement agencies are attending to the situation,” the ministry said.
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At this stage, it has been reported that five people were shot, with two fatalities. Earlier reports indicated that a lawyer and several women were among those wounded.
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