At Least 27 Killed in Separate Mass Shootings Near Johannesburg and Cape Town

The Big Picture

At least 27 people were killed in two separate mass shootings near South Africa's two largest cities, police said, in attacks that underscored the country's persistent struggle with violent crime.

Seventeen people were killed at a bar in Wedela township, about 50 miles southwest of central Johannesburg, on Saturday night. Ten others were killed at a shisanyama, an entertainment venue selling grilled meat, in Lwandle near Cape Town early Sunday. Police said no arrests had been made in either case.

President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the violence, saying, “This cannot go on like this.” He said security forces would “continue pulling out all stops.”

What Happened

South African police said eight unidentified suspects armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire at the Wedela tavern. Seventeen people were killed and at least 15 others suffered gunshot injuries, police said.

According to Capt. Tintswalo Sibeko, patrons had been drinking inside and outside the tavern when the suspects arrived and began firing at people outside. The gunmen then entered the venue and continued shooting, police said.

The suspects allegedly searched some patrons and took their cellphones before fleeing in two unidentified vehicles. Police said two vehicles were set alight during the incident and launched a manhunt for the eight suspects.

In Lwandle, gunmen entered the shisanyama at about 1:46 a.m. Sunday and began shooting customers, Western Cape police said. Five people died at the scene and five later died after being taken to medical facilities. Eleven other people were receiving medical treatment for injuries, police said.

Police said detectives were searching for multiple suspects in the Lwandle attack but did not specify how many people were involved.

What Each Side Is Saying

Gauteng police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said one line of inquiry into the Wedela killings was that the attack involved a turf war connected to illegal mining. He also said investigators were considering whether the shooting was retaliation for another attack at the same tavern about a month earlier.

Illegal miners, known as zama zamas, are often associated with powerful gangs, and multiple mass shootings around Johannesburg in recent years have been blamed on such groups, according to The Guardian.

In the Cape Town-area shooting, a police official said “business jealousy might have been the issue.” The official cited reports that customers had been buying cheaper alcohol elsewhere and bringing it into the venue to drink. Police had not announced a confirmed motive.

Background

The two attacks came days after three gunmen killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman, at a house party near the east-coast city of Durban, The Guardian reported.

South Africa has faced high levels of violent crime for years. Police data showed that more than 22,700 people were murdered in the 12 months ending June 30. The country recorded a murder rate of almost 40 per 100,000 people in 2024, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, as cited by The Guardian.

The latest shootings also came as police and political leaders face pressure over violence and allegations of corruption and criminality within the police service. The Madlanga commission judicial inquiry has been examining those allegations in televised hearings, The Guardian reported.

What Happens Next

Police in Gauteng and the Western Cape said their investigations were continuing. Authorities had not publicly identified any suspects or released the identities of those killed in the Lwandle shooting, pending notification of relatives.

Investigators will seek to establish whether the Wedela shooting was connected to illegal mining disputes or the earlier attack at the tavern, and whether the reports of commercial rivalry played any role in the Lwandle killings.