27 Killed in Two Mass Shootings Hours Apart in South Africa

At least 27 people have been killed in two mass shootings that occurred within hours of each other in South Africa, where gun violence remains a persistent problem.

In the first attack, eight gunmen stormed a bar near Johannesburg on Saturday evening, killing 17 people and injuring 15 others.

A separate shooting took place in the early hours of Sunday outside an entertainment venue in a township near Cape Town. Ten people were killed and another 11 were injured.

Police have not identified a motive for either attack.

In Johannesburg, the attackers first opened fire on people outside the bar before entering the venue and continuing to shoot. They also set two vehicles on fire before leaving the scene.

Police said 13 men and four women were among those killed in the attack.

In Cape Town, five victims died at the scene, while another five later died in hospital. No arrests had been reported in either case by Sunday morning.

The shootings came only days after 11 people were killed in Durban when gunmen entered a house in the KwaMakhutha township.

South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates and has faced persistent problems with illegal firearms and gang-related violence.

About 60 murders are recorded across the country each day, according to figures cited in the source, in a nation of around 62 million people.

The recent series of mass shootings has heightened concerns over the scale of armed violence. Such attacks are often linked to territorial disputes involving gangs engaged in activities including drug trafficking and illegal mining.

In February, President Cyril Ramaphosa described organised crime as “the most immediate threat to our democracy, our society and our economic development”.

Earlier this year, the military was deployed alongside police in areas recording the highest murder rates as part of efforts to reduce armed violence.