South Africa is waking up to the aftermath of a bloody weekend after at least 27 people were killed and 26 others wounded in two separate mass shootings in Gauteng and the Western Cape.
The first attack happened on Saturday night at a tavern in Wedela, Carletonville, where 17 people were killed after gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Hours later, another 10 people were killed at a shisanyama venue in Lwandle, Cape Town, in the early hours of Sunday.
The two attacks have once again placed gun violence, organised crime and policing under the spotlight.
17 killed in Carletonville tavern shooting
At about 9.30pm on Saturday, eight gunmen armed with assault rifles and pistols allegedly opened fire on customers outside a tavern in Wedela before moving inside and continuing the shooting.
According to police, the suspects allegedly searched patrons and took an undisclosed number of cellphones before fleeing the scene in two unidentified vehicles.
Two vehicles were also set alight.
The motive for the shooting remains unknown, although there has been speculation that the attack could have been linked to retaliation by another gang.
Acting Gauteng Police Commissioner Major-General Fred Kekana said investigators had identified some of the suspects.
“Of course, we do have their clear features. Some we do have possible names. But the identity is something which we need to leave to investigators so that they do everything possible. When they appear in court, that’s when you’ll know each one’s identity,” he said.
Two vehicles were also set alight at a mass shooting at a tavern that left 17 patrons killed and 15 injured, in Wadela in Carletonville.
14 killed in Cape Town
In the early hours of Sunday, another mass shooting took place hundreds of kilometres away in Lwandle, Cape Town.
Western Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the gunmen entered the entertainment venue, which also sells braaied meat, at about 1.46am and opened fire on patrons.
Five people died at the scene, while another five later succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
Eleven others were being treated for their injuries.
“Detectives are hard at work in search of the perpetrators of the shooting incident with no arrests effected yet,” Potelwa said.
“The identities of the deceased persons will be released once their next of kin are informed.”
Lwandle police have opened cases of murder and attempted murder.
In a separate incident, in Cape Town Site C, Khayelitsha, three men died at the scene of a shooting and a fourth died in hospital.
Khayelitsha police responded to the scene at about 7.15pm and found three men with multiple gunshot wounds. Two of the victims were inside a stationary vehicle, while the third was found next to it. All three were declared dead at the scene.
A fourth victim was transported to a medical facility in a private vehicle but succumbed to his injuries upon arrival.
According to information gathered at the scene, the victims were reportedly inside the vehicle when they came under fire. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, and no suspects have been identified or arrested at this stage.
Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant General Sizakhele Dyantyi has established a team drawn from several units and led by serious and violent crime detectives to investigate the killings.
Questions over gun violence and policing
The two shootings have left communities reeling and renewed questions over gun violence and the availability of high-powered firearms.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, speaking to the media at the scene of the Carletonville shooting, acknowledged the fear and distrust among community members while highlighting the measures being taken by authorities.
Lesufi said that while the deployment of the army had been welcomed by some communities, more capacity was needed to address violent crime.
In March this year, soldiers were deployed to violent hotspots in Johannesburg to support police efforts to tackle crime, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has described as one of the country’s biggest threats.
The South African Defense Force has been deployed to the community of Wadela in Carletonville.
The military has also previously been deployed to gang-afflicted areas of the Cape Flats. In 2019, around 1,300 soldiers were deployed to support police operations in the area.
Lesufi said the government would avoid interfering with the police investigation and allow law enforcement authorities to lead the process.
“I assure the community here that the brief that the police have given us, this is assuring on the basis of the evidence they’ve already gathered and where that is leading. So let’s give them the opportunity to do that work and find a way of resolving this,” he said.
As investigations continue into both shootings, police are still searching for the suspects responsible for the attacks.
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