South African police are searching for the gunmen responsible for two mass shootings near Johannesburg and Cape Town that killed 27 people and left 26 others injured within hours of each other.
Police have not announced any arrests, while the motives behind the attacks remain unclear.
The shootings came just five days after 11 people were killed in an attack at a house party near Durban, intensifying concerns over violent crime and the proliferation of illegal firearms in South Africa.
Two attacks simultaneously
The first shooting occurred at around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at a bar in Wedela township, approximately 80 km southwest of Johannesburg. Police said eight gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire on people outside the bar before entering the establishment and continuing the attack. Thirteen men and four women were killed, while 15 others sustained injuries.
According to police, the attackers searched some patrons, stole their mobile phones and escaped in two vehicles. Soldiers and police pathologists have since arrived in Wedela as investigators work to examine the crime scene.
Two burned-out vehicles were found near the scene, although police have not confirmed whether they were connected to the shooting.
Residents have been hesitant to discuss the attack. One resident referred to the presence of illegal gold miners, locally known as zama zamas, in the area. However, police have not indicated any link between the miners and the shooting.
Ten killed near Cape Town
About four hours later, another shooting was reported at a store in Lwandle township, on the outskirts of Cape Town. The attack, which occurred shortly after 1 am on Sunday, left 10 people dead and 11 others injured.
Police are searching for several suspects but have not disclosed the number of attackers involved. Some residents who gathered behind the police cordon told journalists that they were concerned about their safety.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Police recorded 5,427 killings between April and June, amounting to an average of nearly 60 deaths each day.
Firearms remain the most commonly used weapons in killings, while authorities have repeatedly raised concerns over the widespread circulation of illegal guns. President Cyril Ramaphosa has called organised crime a significant threat to the country’s democracy and economic growth.
