Do You Know? At least 27 people were killed in two separate mass shootings in South Africa, according to police statements reported on 27 September 2026. Fifteen people were wounded in the attack near Johannesburg and 11 in the shooting near Cape Town.
What happened
Police said 17 people were killed on Saturday night when eight suspected gunmen opened fire at a bar in Wedela township, about 50 miles south-west of central Johannesburg. At least 15 other people suffered gunshot injuries.
In a separate incident, 10 people were killed at an entertainment venue selling grilled meat, known as a shisanyama, in Lwandle near Cape Town. Police said 11 others were wounded.
How the attacks unfolded
According to a statement from Gauteng police, the suspected attackers in Wedela were reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols. Police said they opened fire on people outside the tavern before entering and continuing to shoot inside. The suspects allegedly searched some patrons, took their mobile phones and fled in two unidentified vehicles. Two vehicles were also set alight during the incident.
Western Cape police said gunmen entered the Lwandle venue at about 1:46 a.m. on Sunday and began shooting at customers. Five people died at the scene and five others died after being taken to medical facilities, police said. The identities of those killed were to be released after their next of kin had been informed.
Police investigations
No arrests had been made in either of the two latest shootings, police said. Gauteng police launched a manhunt for eight unidentified suspects, while Western Cape police formed a team led by serious violent crime detectives and said they were searching for multiple suspects.
Gauteng provincial police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said investigators were examining whether the Wedela shooting was connected to a suspected turf war involving illegal mining. He also said it could have been retaliation for another shooting at the same tavern about a month earlier. These were described as lines of inquiry, not established explanations.
In the Western Cape case, a police official said business jealousy might have been involved, citing reports that customers were buying cheaper alcohol elsewhere and bringing it to the venue. Police had not announced a confirmed motive.
Why it matters
The shootings came days after 11 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed at a house party near Durban in an earlier attack by three gunmen, according to the report.
South Africa has faced high levels of violent crime for years. The Guardian report cited United Nations data showing a murder rate of almost 40 per 100,000 people in 2024, ranking the country ninth-highest globally that year. Police data cited in the report said more than 22,700 people were murdered in the 12 months to 30 June.
“This cannot go on like this,” President Cyril Ramaphosa told local television news channels, according to the report.
What happens next
Police investigations and searches for suspects were continuing in Gauteng and the Western Cape. No arrests had been reported in the two latest attacks at the time of publication.
Bottom Line
Two separate shootings near Johannesburg and Cape Town left at least 27 people dead and 26 wounded, according to South African police. Investigators were pursuing multiple suspects, but motives remained unconfirmed and no arrests had been announced.
Source
This report is based on information published by The Guardian World.
