South African police are investigating multiple possible motives, including gang violence, illegal mining, business rivalry, and the illicit gun trade, after four mass shootings across the country left at least 45 people dead within a week. Provincial multidisciplinary teams have been established to investigate the mass shootings in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape. Investigators are working to establish the motives behind the attacks and whether they are linked or separate incidents.
The latest mass shooting occurred at the Wedela tavern on the West Rand in Gauteng, where 18 people were killed and 18 others injured. The gunmen reportedly entered the tavern, opened fire on patrons, and robbed them of their cellphones. Two vehicles were set alight before the attackers fled in unidentified vehicles. The South African Police Service said investigators had recovered a clear photograph of eight suspects.
Gauteng deputy police commissioner Fred Kekana said the shooting appeared to be an act of retaliation linked to an earlier shooting at the same tavern in August. One of those killed was wanted in connection with that incident, he said. Gauteng provincial commissioner Tommy Mthobeni has established two investigative units in the past week — one to probe the Wedela shooting and another to investigate a suspected serial killer case in Ekurhuleni.
On the same night as the Wedela shooting, three separate attacks in Cape Town left 16 people dead. Four people were shot while seated outside a property on Mthuma Street in Khayelitsha, two were killed in Joe Slovo informal settlement, and 10 were shot at a shisanyama in Lwandle. Police are investigating business rivalry as a possible motive for the Lwandle shooting.
Western Cape provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Sizakhele Dyantyi established a specialised multidisciplinary team led by serious violent crime detectives to investigate the Lwandle attack. Dyantyi said investigators were exploring business rivalry as a possible motive and examining reports that patrons had been buying cheaper alcohol elsewhere and bringing it to the establishment.
The spate of shootings began in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday, 22 September, when 11 people, including a pregnant woman, were shot dead inside a house in KhaMakhutha. Residents have linked the killings to suspected drug syndicates and territorial disputes among drug dealers. Police also said several of those killed were on the police wanted list.
President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the wave of mass shootings across Gauteng and the Western Cape, after the incidents occurred within hours. Ramaphosa stated that security forces have been given clear instructions to "pull out all the stops" to end lawlessness and violence. Acting national police commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane ordered the immediate activation of a 72-hour tracking operation and condemned what he described as the "senseless taking of human lives".
Key points
- Multiple mass shootings occurred across South Africa within a week, leaving 45 dead.
- Police are investigating various motives, including gang violence, business rivalry, and the illicit gun trade.
- The shootings may be linked or separate incidents, with investigators working to establish a clear motive.
