by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JOHANNESBURG/CAPE TOWN (Worthy News) – As communities were grieving, South African police hunted suspects Sunday following two separate shootings that killed 27 people within hours of each other, just days after another mass shooting left 11 dead.
The bloodshed near Johannesburg and Cape Town highlighted the country’s struggle with gun violence.
Authorities said the motives remained unclear, but the attacks came amid widespread gang violence and organized crime despite government efforts to curb one of the highest per-capita murder rates in the world.
In Wedela township, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Johannesburg, 17 people were killed and 15 injured at a tavern when suspects armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire at around 9:30 p.m. local time Saturday, officials said.
TAVERN ATTACK
Police said eight unidentified suspects opened fire on people outside the tavern before entering the establishment and continuing to shoot at patrons inside.
The attackers allegedly searched some patrons and stole their mobile phones before fleeing in two unidentified vehicles. Two other vehicles were set ablaze during the attack.
Police opened 17 murder and 15 attempted-murder cases, while detectives and specialist units were searching for the eight suspects. No arrests had been announced Sunday.
The shooting occurred in a gold-mining area where illegal miners, locally known as zama zamas, operate and which experts have identified as a hotspot for gun crime.
SECOND MASS SHOOTING
Hours later, gunmen opened fire at a venue selling grilled meat in Lwandle, on the outskirts of Cape Town, killing 10 people and wounding 11 others.
Police said five victims died at the scene and another five succumbed to their injuries after being taken to medical facilities.
Detectives specializing in serious violent crime were searching for multiple suspects, but no arrests had been announced.
The two attacks came only days after gunmen killed 11 people at a house party in KwaMakhutha township, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Durban.
HOUSE PARTY MASSACRE
Police said three gunmen entered the home and opened fire on those attending the gathering. Ten people, including a woman believed to be pregnant, died at the scene, while an 11th victim later died in hospital.
Three other people were wounded in that attack, which occurred on September 22.
Crime expert Yusuf Abramjee warned that South Africa faces a serious illegal-firearms problem, with guns frequently used by organized criminal groups and in gang-related violence.
He urged authorities to investigate not only those carrying out mass shootings but also the wider criminal networks behind such attacks.
ILLEGAL FIREARMS
President Cyril Ramaphosa said earlier this year that organized crime had become the biggest threat to South Africa’s democracy and deployed soldiers to assist police in some areas.
The latest killings came as crime is expected to be a major issue in South Africa’s municipal elections in November.
More than 22,700 people were murdered in South Africa in the 12 months through June, according to police figures.
This weekend’s bloodshed meant at least 38 people had been killed in three mass shootings in South Africa within days, adding pressure on authorities to tackle the country’s persistently high levels of deadly crime.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
