JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — At least 27 people have been killed in two mass shootings in South Africa, hours apart, as the country grapples with persistent gun violence and a recent surge in deadly attacks.
Seventeen people were killed when gunmen opened fire at a bar near Johannesburg on Saturday evening, while another 10 people were killed in a separate shooting outside an entertainment venue in a township near Cape Town in the early hours of Sunday.
At least 26 other people were injured in the two attacks.
Police had not made any arrests or established a motive for either shooting by Sunday morning.
17 Killed in Johannesburg Bar Attack
Police said the attackers also set two vehicles on fire before fleeing the scene.
Thirteen men and four women were killed in the attack, while 15 people were injured.
Deputy provincial police commissioner Maj Gen Fred Kekana said investigators were examining whether the shooting could have been retaliation for an earlier incident in which one person was killed and another wounded.
According to AFP, Kekana said police had clear images of some of the suspects and, in some cases, knew their names.
10 Killed Near Cape Town
Hours later, another mass shooting was reported outside an entertainment venue in a township near Cape Town.
Five victims died at the scene, while another five succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
A further 11 people were injured in the attack.
As with the Johannesburg shooting, police had not announced any arrests or confirmed a motive by Sunday morning.
The attacks have renewed concerns over the availability of illegal firearms and organised gun violence in South Africa.
11 Killed in Durban Days Earlier
The latest shootings came only days after another deadly attack in KwaMakhutha township near Durban.
Eleven people were killed when gunmen reportedly stormed a house in the area.
The incidents have added to concerns over a series of mass shootings in different parts of South Africa.
Gang Violence and Illegal Guns
South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, with gun violence frequently linked to organised crime, gang conflicts and disputes involving drug trafficking and illegal mining.
The country records roughly 60 murders a day, according to official crime statistics and estimates cited in reports on the country’s security crisis.
Illegal firearms remain widely available, while police have struggled to contain violence in areas affected by organised criminal networks.
President Cyril Ramaphosa described organised crime earlier this year as “the most immediate threat to our democracy, our society and our economic development”.
The military has also been deployed alongside police in some of the country’s highest-crime areas in an effort to combat armed violence.
Tenth Woman Found Dead in Ekurhuleni
Separately, police in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, are investigating the deaths of 10 women after another woman’s body was discovered on Saturday.
Local police have said they cannot rule out the possibility of a serial killer, citing similarities between some of the deaths.
The women’s deaths are being investigated separately from the two mass shootings, and authorities have not established a connection between the cases.
