17 Die in Johannesburg Bar Attack, While 10 Are Killed at Cape Town Venue
At least 27 people have been killed and 26 others wounded in two separate mass shootings in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South African police said on Sunday.
In Wedela, southwest of Johannesburg, gunmen armed with assault rifles and pistols opened fire at a bar around 7:30pm on Saturday, killing 17 people and injuring 15 others.
Police said the attackers first shot customers outside the bar before moving inside and continuing the attack. They also reportedly set two vehicles on fire before fleeing.
A separate shooting occurred at a barbecue venue in a township outside Cape Town early Sunday. Ten people were killed and 11 others wounded, with five victims pronounced dead at the scene and the others dying while being taken to hospital.
No suspects had been arrested in either shooting, while police said the motives remained under investigation.
The attacks come amid persistent gun violence in South Africa, which authorities have linked to gangs, organised crime and local business disputes.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said security forces had been directed to intensify efforts to reduce criminality and violence, stressing that people should not be able to randomly shoot others.
The shootings followed another attack in Durban last week in which 11 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed at a house party.
Meanwhile, police said 11 women have been killed in one Johannesburg municipality over two months. A further suspect was arrested in connection with one of the killings, bringing the number of arrests linked to the cases to four.