South African police have launched a manhunt for suspects after a series of deadly shootings left more than 30 people dead in the country. The first incident occurred in the township of Wedela in West Rand District outside Johannesburg, where 17 people were killed and 15 wounded in a shooting at a tavern on Saturday evening. Eyewitnesses reported that eight unidentified men, armed with pistols and AK-47 rifles, opened fire on patrons drinking outside the tavern before entering the establishment and continuing to shoot.
The alleged assailants searched some patrons and took their cellphones before fleeing the scene in two unidentified motor vehicles. Police said they are still investigating the motive behind the shooting, but the police commissioner, Lieutenant General Sizkhele William Dyantyi, suggested that a business dispute may have been a possible motive. The incident has sparked widespread concern about the rising rate of mass shootings in South Africa, which often impact people from the country's poorest communities.
In a separate incident, 10 people were shot and killed at an entertainment venue in Lwandle, a township in the Western Cape, early on Sunday morning. Police reported that gunmen entered the venue and fired at patrons, resulting in five deaths at the scene and five others succumbing to their injuries in hospital. A manhunt has been launched to find the suspects, but no arrests have been made yet.
Another shooting incident occurred in the township of Khayelitsha in the Western Cape, where three men with multiple gunshot wounds were found at the scene, and a fourth victim later died at a medical facility. The police are investigating the incident but have not yet identified a suspect or established a motive. The series of shootings has highlighted the growing concern about violent crime in South Africa.
The latest police figures show that an average of 58 people were murdered each day in South Africa between January and March. The violence has also left women particularly fearful, with the discovery of the bodies of 10 women in parts of Johannesburg causing widespread alarm. Several of the bodies were found near roads or in open areas, and police are investigating whether some of the deaths are connected.
South Africa is also battling powerful criminal networks involved in drugs, extortion, illegal mining, and gang violence. The 2025 Africa Organized Crime Index reports that cocaine from South America passes through the country on its way to other parts of the world. Organized crime has also become an issue within the country's police leadership, with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu being placed on leave last year after accusations of links to a criminal syndicate.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has stated that organized crime is "the most immediate threat to our democracy, our society, and our economic development." In response, Ramaphosa announced that soldiers would be deployed to support police in tackling gang violence, as the government steps up its fight against criminal syndicates. The incidents have sparked a renewed call for action to address the rising rate of violent crime in South Africa.
Key points
- A series of deadly shootings has occurred in South Africa, leaving more than 30 people dead.
- The shootings have highlighted the growing concern about violent crime in South Africa, with experts saying that the rate of mass shootings is on the rise.
- The government has announced measures to tackle gang violence and organized crime, including the deployment of soldiers to support police.
