Key facts
- At least 27 people were killed and more than 20 wounded in two separate shootings in South African townships.
- In Wedela, 17 people were killed and 15 wounded in a tavern shooting late Saturday.
- In Lwandle, 10 people were killed and 11 wounded in a store shooting early Sunday.
- The Wedela attackers reportedly used AK-47 rifles and pistols.
- The motive for the Wedela shooting is unknown.
- The shootings occurred days after 11 people were killed in a house party shooting near Durban.
Residents of the South African township of Wedela are living in fear following a tavern shooting that killed 17 people and wounded 15 late Saturday. The attack, which occurred around 9:30 p.m. in the Gauteng province's West Rand district, saw gunmen fire at people gathered outside the tavern before entering and continuing to shoot. Some customers had their mobile phones taken before the suspects escaped in two vehicles. Two other vehicles were burned at the scene. Police are searching for eight suspects reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols, and the motive remains unknown.
Early Sunday morning, a separate incident in Lwandle, near Cape Town, saw gunmen kill at least 10 people and wound 11 at a store. Police are also searching for multiple suspects in this attack. These incidents follow a mass shooting at a house party near Durban days earlier, which killed 11 people.
South Africa experiences persistently high levels of violent crime, and the government faces pressure to improve public safety, particularly in urban areas where police have increased operations against gun crimes.