Johannesburg, September 27
At least 27 people have been killed and 26 others injured in two separate shootings in South Africa.
Seventeen people were killed and 15 others injured in a shooting at a bar in western Johannesburg on Saturday night, police said. The victims included 13 men and four women.
According to police, around eight gunmen carried out the attack. After searching some customers and taking their mobile phones, the attackers fled in two unidentified vehicles. The incident took place at around 7:30 pm local time on Saturday.
Police said the motive for the attack remains unclear. The suspects reportedly set fire to the two vehicles before fleeing. Investigators and specialised police teams have been deployed to arrest those involved.
Meanwhile, another shooting at an entertainment venue in a township outside Cape Town on Sunday morning left 10 people dead and 11 others injured.
Both legal and illegal firearms are widely used in South Africa. Shootings are frequently linked to gang disputes and competition among informal businesses.
South Africa, with a population of around 62 million, has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Statistics cited in reports indicate that around 60 people are killed in the country each day on average.
In March this year, the military was deployed to assist police in combating crime in violence-hit areas of Johannesburg. President Cyril Ramaphosa has described rising crime as one of the country’s major challenges.
—RSS/AFP
