South Africa is facing renewed concerns over gun violence after the death toll from a shooting at a tavern west of Johannesburg rose to 18.
Police said one of the 18 people wounded in Saturday night’s attack later died in hospital. At least two of those killed have been identified as nationals of neighbouring Lesotho, while only four victims have so far been formally identified.
The attack took place in Wedela, about 80 kilometres from central Johannesburg, when eight armed men reportedly entered a tavern and opened fire. Seventeen people were killed at the scene, while 18 others were wounded.
Investigators are yet to determine the motive, but police are examining a possible connection to a similar incident at the same venue in August, when one person was killed and another injured. The area is also reportedly affected by rivalries linked to illegal gold mining and organised criminal networks.
The violence extended to the Cape Town area on Sunday, where another shooting at a drinking and entertainment venue in Lwandle left 10 people dead and 11 others injured. Police are investigating possible business rivalry as one line of inquiry, but no arrests have been made in either attack.
The latest incidents have renewed scrutiny of South Africa’s persistent violent-crime problem, with illegal firearms, gang activity, extortion and illicit mining frequently linked to deadly shootings.
The government has previously deployed soldiers to crime hotspots around Johannesburg and Cape Town as part of efforts to tackle organised criminal activity.
Meanwhile, public anxiety has also grown following the discovery of the bodies of 11 women in Johannesburg’s Ekurhuleni area over a ten-week period. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
A separate case involving the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old woman during an alleged robbery is also under investigation. Authorities say there is, so far, no evidence linking the incident to the deaths of the women found in the area.
