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South Africa Mass Shootings Kill 27 in Gauteng and Western Cape — AI-generated representative image: Police tape and a patrol vehicle outside a tavern in a South African township, following a deadly mass shooting.

Editorial Team

Police launch manhunts after tavern and entertainment venue attacks in Wedela and Lwandle

Twenty-seven people were killed in two separate mass shootings in South Africa over the weekend, police said. Seventeen people died when armed men opened fire at a tavern in Wedela, Gauteng province, on Saturday night, while 10 others were killed at an entertainment venue in Lwandle, Western Cape province, early Sunday.

The attacks add to a growing wave of mass shootings in a country where an average of about 58 people are murdered each day, according to national crime statistics. Both incidents have triggered active police investigations, though no arrests have been announced and the motives remain unknown.

Two Attacks in Two Provinces

In Wedela, located in the West Rand District of Gauteng province, 17 people were shot and killed at a tavern on Saturday night. The victims included 13 men and four women, and 15 others sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to medical facilities for treatment.

In a separate incident in Lwandle, Western Cape province, gunmen entered an entertainment venue early Sunday and opened fire on patrons. Ten people were killed, with five dying at the scene and five others succumbing to their injuries after being taken to medical facilities. Eleven others were receiving treatment for their injuries.

A Pattern of Rising Violence

Mass shootings have become increasingly frequent in South Africa, which records an average of about 58 murders per day, according to national crime statistics. The weekend attacks follow another deadly shooting last week, when gunmen killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman, and wounded three others during a late-night shooting at a home in the southern part of Durban.

Details of the Wedela Attack

Police said patrons were drinking inside and outside the Wedela tavern when the suspects arrived and opened fire on those outside. The suspects then entered the tavern and continued shooting at patrons inside. The attackers were reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and shotguns, and they searched some patrons and took their cellphones before fleeing in two unidentified vehicles.

Two vehicles parked near the tavern were also set alight. Police have launched a manhunt for eight unidentified armed men suspected of involvement in the shooting, and detectives and other specialized units have been deployed to identify and apprehend the suspects.

Investigations Underway

Authorities have confirmed that the motive for the Wedela shooting remains unknown and that no arrests have been made in either incident. Police investigations are ongoing in both Gauteng and the Western Cape, with additional information awaited as detectives work to identify and locate the suspects.