At least 27 people have been killed in two separate mass shootings in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South African police said on Sunday, as the country continues to grapple with persistent gun violence.
In the first attack, eight gunmen armed with assault rifles and pistols stormed a bar in Wedela, southwest of Johannesburg, at about 7:30pm GMT on Saturday. Police said 17 people were killed and 15 others wounded.
The victims included 13 men and four women.
According to police, the attackers first opened fire on customers drinking outside the bar before moving inside and continuing the shooting. They later set two vehicles on fire and fled the scene.
The attack occurred in Wedela, a semi-rural township characterised by brick houses and small businesses, surrounded by large areas of land used for mining.
The area has been the focus of a government crackdown on illegal mining, with soldiers deployed alongside police to target criminal networks operating around abandoned mine shafts.
Police said the motive for the attack remained unclear, although investigators believe it may have been linked to a previous incident at the same bar.
Deputy provincial police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana said the suspects appeared to have carried out the attack in retaliation for an incident last month, in which one person was killed and another wounded.
One of the victims in Saturday’s attack was also being sought by police in connection with that earlier incident, Kekana said.
“We managed to get clear pictures of the suspects, and we will get them,” he said.
Kekana also condemned the rising frequency of mass shootings, saying criminal groups appeared to be treating such violence as increasingly normal.
Ten killed near Cape Town
Hours later, another shooting occurred at a barbecue venue in a township outside Cape Town.
Police said gunmen opened fire on revellers early Sunday, killing 10 people and wounding 11 others.
Videos shared on social media showed people dancing and drinking before gunfire erupted, sending those at the gathering running for cover.
Five victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while the others died while being taken to hospital. Two of those killed were women.
No suspects had been arrested in either shooting as of Sunday, police said.
South Africa battles persistent gun violence
The latest attacks come as South Africa continues to face high levels of violent crime, with shootings frequently linked to gangs, organised criminal networks and disputes involving local businesses.
The country, with a population of about 62 million, records roughly 60 murders a day, placing its homicide rate among the highest in the world.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday that security forces would continue efforts to tackle violent crime.
“The clear instruction to our security forces is that we must bring the levels of criminality and violence down,” Ramaphosa said. “We cannot be a country where people just pick up guns and start shooting at people at random.”
The latest shootings follow another deadly attack last week, when gunmen stormed a house party in a township in Durban and killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman.
South Africa has repeatedly deployed the military to support police operations in areas affected by violent crime.
In March, Ramaphosa authorised the deployment of soldiers to crime hotspots in Johannesburg, describing rampant criminality as one of the country’s major threats.
The military has also been deployed during periods of unrest, including the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, the riots that followed former President Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment in 2021 and a wave of truck burnings in 2023.
In 2019, about 1,300 soldiers were deployed to support police operations in gang-affected areas of the Cape Flats around Cape Town.
Despite these interventions, shootings and other violent crimes remain a persistent challenge.
Eleven women killed in Johannesburg municipality
Police are also investigating a series of killings involving 11 women in a Johannesburg municipality over a two-month period.
The latest victim was found around midday on Sunday, police said.
A suspect has been arrested in connection with the death of one of the women, who was found semi-naked and apparently stoned to death on Saturday. The arrest brings the total number of people detained in connection with the series to four.
Most of the 11 victims were in their 20s and 30s. Some were found partially undressed and with signs of sexual assault, according to police.
Authorities have offered a 400,000-rand ($25,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible. The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s second-largest political party, has offered an additional $31,000.
