At least 28 people have been killed and 25 others injured in two separate mass shootings in South Africa within hours of each other, adding to concerns over rising gun-related violence in the country.
The first incident occurred on Saturday evening near Johannesburg, where eight armed men reportedly attacked patrons at a bar, killing 18 people and leaving 14 others wounded.
According to police, the attackers initially fired at people gathered outside the establishment before entering the premises and continuing the assault.
Two vehicles were also set ablaze before the suspects escaped.
Authorities said only four of the deceased had been formally identified.
Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni said citizens of Ethiopia and Lesotho were among those affected, although most of the victims were South Africans.
Police are investigating robbery as a possible motive after belongings were reportedly taken from victims.
However, investigators have not ruled out a dispute involving illegal mining operations.
Deputy Gauteng Police Commissioner Major General Fred Kekana suggested the violence could have been linked to retaliation for a previous incident last month that left one person dead and another injured.
He said investigators had obtained photographs and, in some cases, the identities of people suspected of involvement.
A second attack took place in the early hours of Sunday outside an entertainment facility in a township near Cape Town.
Ten people died, including five who were pronounced dead at the scene and another five who succumbed to their injuries in hospital. Eleven others were injured.
No suspects had been arrested in either incident by Sunday morning, while police continued investigations into the circumstances surrounding the attacks.
The shootings occurred only days after another deadly assault in KwaMakhutha, Durban, where 11 people were killed after armed men reportedly entered a house and opened fire.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest homicide rates, with approximately 60 people murdered each day in the country, which has a population of about 62 million.
The widespread availability of illegal firearms has contributed to decades of violent crime.
Recent attacks have also intensified concerns about clashes involving criminal networks operating in drug trafficking and unauthorised mining.
Authorities say illegal miners often work in abandoned mine shafts and waste sites under dangerous conditions, with some being undocumented migrants recruited by organised criminal groups.
President Cyril Ramaphosa described organised crime earlier this year as a major threat to South Africa’s democracy, society and economic progress.
The government has also deployed soldiers alongside police officers in areas experiencing particularly high levels of violent crime as part of efforts to curb armed attacks.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong