27 killed in separate mass shootings in South Africa

At least 27 people were killed and 26 others injured in two separate mass shootings in South Africa's Gauteng and Western Cape provinces within hours of each other, police said on Sunday, 27 September.

The first shooting took place at a tavern in Wedela township, in the West Rand area of Gauteng, west of Johannesburg. Seventeen people were killed and 15 wounded.

Several hours later, 10 people were killed and 11 injured in a shooting at an entertainment venue in Lwandle, near Cape Town in the Western Cape.

Police launched separate investigations and manhunts for the perpetrators. No arrests had been reported in either case at the time of the police statements.

17 killed in Wedela tavern shooting

The Gauteng shooting occurred at about 9.30pm on Saturday, when armed men opened fire at a tavern in Wedela's Extension 3, according to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Police said eight unidentified men allegedly entered the premises and opened fire on patrons. The suspects were reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols.

Emergency medical personnel declared 17 people dead at the scene. The victims comprised 13 men and four women.

A further 15 people suffered gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital for medical treatment.

SAPS said the suspects allegedly searched some patrons and took their mobile phones before fleeing in two unidentified vehicles. Two vehicles were later set alight.

The motive for the shooting had not been established.

Police opened 17 murder cases, 15 attempted-murder cases and two cases of malicious damage to property. A multidisciplinary team involving detectives and specialised police units was assigned to the investigation.

Police have appealed for information that could help identify and locate the suspects.

Ten killed in Lwandle shooting

The second shooting happened in the early hours of Sunday at an entertainment venue in Lwandle, a township in the City of Cape Town.

SAPS said police received a report of the shooting at about 1.46am.

Ten people were killed and 11 others injured. Five victims were declared dead at the scene, while another five died after being taken to hospital.

The Western Cape provincial commissioner established a multidisciplinary team led by serious and violent crime detectives to investigate the attack.

Additional police resources were deployed to the area while investigators worked to identify those responsible.

The motive remained unknown and no arrests had been made when police issued their statement.

Shootings follow KwaZulu-Natal attack

The latest shootings came only days after another mass shooting in KwaMakhutha, a township south of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal province.

Eleven people were killed and three others injured in that attack, which took place at a house where people had gathered.

The incidents have brought renewed attention to South Africa's continuing problem with gun violence and violent crime.

However, the latest attacks occurred despite a decline in the country's overall murder figures. Official police statistics released in August showed that 5,427 people were murdered between April and June 2026, down 5.9% from 5,770 during the same period a year earlier.

The figures represented an average of roughly 60 murders a day during the three-month period.

Murder figures have declined nationally

South Africa's latest official crime statistics showed a year-on-year decline in murders in the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.

Gauteng recorded a 10.7% reduction in murders between April and June 2026, according to provincial figures presented to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

In the Western Cape, murders fell by 6.7%, from 1,148 in the same quarter of 2025 to 1,071 during April-June 2026, according to the provincial government.

Despite the decline, police continue to identify illegal firearms and violent crime as areas requiring enforcement efforts.

In Wedela, police are searching for the eight suspected gunmen and investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, including the reported theft of patrons' mobile phones and the burning of vehicles.

In Lwandle, the multidisciplinary investigative team is pursuing leads to establish the identities of the attackers and the circumstances behind the shooting.