Omanghana
At least 27 people were killed and 26 others wounded in two separate mass shootings near Johannesburg and Cape Town over the weekend, prompting police searches for the attackers.
The shootings struck social venues within hours of each other on Saturday night and early Sunday, September 27. Authorities were still investigating the motives, with no arrests reported at the time of the initial police updates.
In Wedela township, southwest of Johannesburg, eight men armed with AK-47 rifles and handguns attacked a tavern at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. Police said the gunmen fired at customers outside before entering the building and continuing the shooting.
Seventeen people, comprising 13 men and four women, were killed, while 15 others suffered gunshot wounds. The attackers also searched some patrons and stole their mobile phones before escaping in two vehicles.
Hours later, gunmen opened fire at a venue selling grilled meat in Lawndale township, on the outskirts of Cape Town. Ten people were killed and 11 others injured in that attack, which occurred around 2 a.m. on Sunday.
Investigators were examining a possible connection between the Wedela shooting and disputes involving illegal mining groups. Gauteng police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said detectives were considering whether the attack was linked to a turf war or retaliation for a shooting at the same tavern about a month earlier.
In Lwandle, police were exploring business rivalry as a possible motive. These remained preliminary lines of inquiry, with authorities yet to establish conclusively what triggered either attack.
The killings followed another shooting at a house party in KwaMakhutha township, south of Durban, on Tuesday, September 22, where 11 people died. The succession of attacks has intensified concern about gun violence and organised crime in South Africa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa previously identified organised crime as a major threat to the country’s democracy and deployed soldiers to support police operations in some areas.
Source: Omanghana
