South Africa is reeling from another deadly wave of gun violence after 27 people were killed in two separate mass shootings in Gauteng and the Western Cape between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday.
The attacks, which police have not linked to each other, happened within hours of one another in Wedela on Gauteng’s West Rand and Lwandle outside Cape Town. At least 26 other people were wounded.
The latest killings come just days after another mass shooting in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban, where the death toll has risen to 12.
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17 killed at Wedela tavern
The first shooting happened at a tavern in Extension 3, Wedela, at about 9.30pm on Saturday, 26 September.
According to police, eight unidentified armed men arrived while patrons were drinking inside and outside the tavern.
The gunmen, armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols, opened fire on people outside before entering the tavern and continuing to shoot at patrons.
Seventeen people, including 13 men and four women, were killed. Another 15 people sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to medical facilities for treatment.
Police said some patrons were searched and had their mobile phones taken before the attackers fled in two vehicles. Two vehicles parked near the tavern were also set alight.
A manhunt has been launched for the eight suspects.
Gauteng police are also investigating whether the massacre may be connected to an earlier shooting at the same tavern.
Deputy Provincial Commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana said police believe the previous incident, in which one person was killed and another wounded, could be linked to Saturday’s attack. One of the people killed in the latest shooting was reportedly a person police had been looking for in connection with the earlier case.
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni said investigators were also considering whether a conflict linked to illegal mining could have played a role. Police have, however, not confirmed a motive.
10 killed in Lwandle hours later
About four hours after the Wedela attack, another mass shooting unfolded in Lwandle in the Western Cape.
Gunmen entered an entertainment venue in the early hours of Sunday and opened fire on patrons.
Five people died at the scene and another five died after being taken to medical facilities, bringing the death toll to 10. Eleven other people were wounded and were receiving medical treatment.
Western Cape Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile told reporters that investigators were looking into possible business rivalry as one line of inquiry, although police have not established a definitive motive. Reuters reported that police were examining claims of tensions involving customers buying alcohol elsewhere before consuming it at the venue.
A multidisciplinary team led by serious violent crime detectives has been assembled to investigate the Lwandle attack.
No arrests had been announced in either the Wedela or Lwandle shootings by Sunday evening.
Ramaphosa: ‘This cannot go on like this’
President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to the shootings on Sunday, calling for intensified action against violent crime.
“This cannot go on like this,” Ramaphosa said, according to Reuters.
“This is the level of criminality that we must bring down, and our security forces are now going to continue pulling out all stops.”
Ramaphosa said police had obtained images of the suspects linked to the Wedela shooting and were working to trace them.
The two attacks follow another mass shooting in KwaMakhutha, KwaZulu-Natal, on Tuesday night.
Three gunmen entered a house in the Ziko area where 14 people were gathered and opened fire. Ten people, including a pregnant woman, died at the scene, while others were taken to hospital.
The death toll initially rose to 11, but police confirmed on Saturday that another wounded victim had died, taking the number of people killed in that attack to 12.
Taken together, the KwaMakhutha, Wedela and Lwandle shootings have claimed 39 lives within days, while dozens more have been wounded.
Police investigations into all three attacks are continuing.
