South African Police Investigate Two Shootings That Killed 27
South African police are investigating two separate shootings that killed 27 people and injured 26 others within hours of each other near Johannesburg and Cape Town. Authorities have not established a motive in either case, and no arrests had been announced at the time of the report.
The first shooting took place at a tavern in Wedela township, about 80 kilometres from Johannesburg, at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. Police said attackers carrying AK-47 rifles killed 17 people and injured 15. Provincial police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said investigators were examining whether the attack was connected to a dispute involving illegal gold mining. Police were also considering whether it was retaliation for a shooting at the same tavern about a month earlier.
Hours later, at approximately 2 a.m. on Sunday, gunmen opened fire at a venue selling grilled meat in Lwandle, outside Cape Town. Ten people were killed and 11 injured. A police official said investigators were looking into a possible business dispute involving alcohol sales. That explanation remains unconfirmed.
President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the violence, saying, “This cannot go on like this.” He said police had images of suspects in the Wedela attack and were working to identify and locate them. The two shootings followed another attack days earlier at a house party near Durban, where 11 people were killed.
The investigations come amid wider concern about violent crime and illegal firearms in South Africa. Crime expert Yusuf Abramjee said authorities should examine the networks behind such attacks, including organized criminal groups. Ramaphosa has previously described organized crime as a major threat to the country’s democracy and deployed soldiers to assist police in some areas. Crime is also expected to be an issue in the country’s municipal elections. For now, investigators are pursuing separate leads in the Wedela and Lwandle cases.