South African police are hunting suspects after two separate shootings killed 27 people within hours of each other, highlighting the country’s persistent problem with gun violence.
Seventeen people were killed and 15 others injured when gunmen opened fire at a tavern in Wedela township, about 80 kilometres from Johannesburg, on Saturday night.
Police said the attackers, who were armed with AK-47 rifles, opened fire at about 9:30 p.m.
No arrests had been made as of Sunday, with detectives investigating the incident and searching for those responsible.
In a separate attack near Cape Town, 10 people were killed and 11 injured after gunmen opened fire at a venue selling grilled meat in Lwandle, on the outskirts of the city.
The shooting occurred at about 2 a.m. on Sunday.
Police cordoned off the area as investigators worked at the scene.
The motive for the attack was not immediately known.
Two vehicles were also found burnt outside the tavern in Wedela following the attack.
Crime expert Yusuf Abramjee said the shootings reflected the wider problem of illegal firearms and organised crime in South Africa.
“South Africa has a serious illegal firearms problem, and firearms are frequently used by organised criminal groups as well as in gang-related and other violent crimes,” Abramjee said.
He said mass shootings should prompt authorities to investigate not only those who carried out the attacks but also the wider networks behind the violence.
The killings come ahead of South Africa’s municipal elections in November, with crime expected to be a major issue for voters.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said earlier this year that organised crime had become the biggest threat to South Africa’s democracy and deployed the army to support police operations in some areas.
Last week, 11 people were killed in a shooting at a house party near Durban.
A separate series of killings involving women whose bodies were found near Johannesburg since July has also renewed concerns over violent crime and femicide in the country.
Reuter.
