At least 27 dead after shootings at venues in Gauteng and Cape Town - IOL

Members of the Forensic Pathology Service and SANDF inspect and secure the scene where gunmen armed with assault rifles stormed a bar in Johannesburg on September 27.

Gunmen killed at least 27 people in two mass shootings, one in Gauteng and another in Cape Town, within a matter of hours.

The first incident took place at around 9.30pm on Saturday when eight gunmen armed with assault rifles stormed a tavern in Wedela, near Carletonville, and killed 17 people. A further 15 others were wounded in the incident.

The suspects opened fire on customers drinking outside and then moved inside to continue shooting, the South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed. The victims included 13 males and four females.

The motive for the shooting was still unknown, police said, adding that the suspects torched two vehicles before fleeing.

In a separate shooting at a shisanyama (braai) venue in Lwandle, Cape Town, in the early hours of Sunday, gunmen killed 10 people and wounded 11 more.

Five of the victims were declared dead at the scene, while the others succumbed to their injuries while being taken to hospital.

No suspect has been arrested in either case, police said.

The attacks come as the country grapples with persistent gun violence, often linked to gang rivalries and competition among informal businesses.

In March this year, soldiers moved into violence hotspots in Joburg to support police efforts to tackle rampant crime, described by President Cyril Ramaphosa as one of the biggest threats facing the country.

In 2019, around 1 300 soldiers were deployed to back up police in the gang-afflicted Cape Flats areas surrounding Cape Town.

Yet shootings and other violent crime remain a persistent threat.

In Johannesburg, 10 women have been killed in the Ukurhuleni area in the space of just two months, with the latest having been found in a cemetery on Saturday, semi-naked and stoned to death. On Sunday, police announced that a suspect had been taken into custody in connection with that killing.

The nine other victims were mostly in their 20s and 30s, with some found stripped of their clothes and showing signs of sexual assault.

Police have offered a R400 000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer or killers.