Gunmen killed at least 27 people in two mass shootings in South Africa's main cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, police said on Sunday. The shootings occurred on Saturday and Sunday, with the first incident happening at a bar in Wedela, a semi-rural township southwest of Johannesburg. Eight gunmen armed with assault rifles and pistols stormed the bar at around 1930 GMT, killing 17 people and wounding 15 others. The dead included 13 males and four females.
The suspects in the Johannesburg shooting torched two vehicles before fleeing. The area has been a focus of a government crackdown on illegal mining, with soldiers deployed alongside police to tackle criminal networks operating around abandoned mine shafts. The motive of the attack was unknown, but according to Major General Fred Kekana, the deputy provincial police commissioner, the attack appeared to have been retaliation for an incident last month. One of the victims was being sought by police in connection with an incident at the same tavern last month.
In a separate shooting at a barbecue venue in a township outside Cape Town early on Sunday, gunmen killed 10 people and wounded 11 more. Five of the victims were declared dead at the scene while the others died while being transported to hospital. Two of those killed were female, police said. The attacks come as South Africa continues to grapple with high levels of gun violence, often linked to gangs, organised crime and local business rivalries.
The country of about 62 million people records roughly 60 murders a day, among the highest rates globally. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday said security forces "are going to continue pulling out all stops" to put an end to criminality. He added that the clear instruction to security forces is to bring the levels of criminality and violence down.
Violent crime remains a persistent threat in South Africa. Last week, gunmen stormed a house party in a township in South Africa's eastern port city of Durban and killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman. South Africa has repeatedly turned to the military to reinforce police efforts against violent crime. In March, Ramaphosa deployed soldiers to violence hotspots in Johannesburg.
The army was deployed to enforce strict Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and during the deadly riots sparked by the jailing of ex-president Jacob Zuma in 2021. Troops were also sent into the streets in 2023 after a wave of truck burnings raised fears of wider unrest. In 2019, around 1,300 soldiers were deployed to back up police in the gang-afflicted Cape Flats areas surrounding Cape Town.
Officials are still determining the motive for the Cape Town shooting. Yet shootings and other violent crime remain a persistent threat. In Johannesburg, 11 women have been killed in a single municipality in two months. A suspect has been taken into custody in connection with the killing of one of the victims, who was found semi-naked and stoned to death on Saturday.
Key points
- At least 27 people killed in two mass shootings in South Africa's Johannesburg and Cape Town.
- The shootings occurred on Saturday and Sunday, with the first incident happening at a bar in Wedela, a semi-rural township southwest of Johannesburg.
- The country of about 62 million people records roughly 60 murders a day, among the highest rates globally.
