Gunmen opened fire at venues near Johannesburg and Cape Town within hours of each other, triggering police manhunts<\/p>\n
At least 27 people were killed and 26 wounded in two mass shootings in South Africa within hours of each other, prompting police manhunts.
\nThe deadliest attack took place late Saturday at a bar in Wedela, southwest of Johannesburg, where eight gunmen reportedly armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire on patrons, killing 17 people and wounding 15.
\nAccording to the South African Police Service (SAPS), people were drinking inside and outside the bar when the attackers arrived at around 9:30 PM local time. They opened fire on those outside before entering the bar and continuing the rampage there. The suspects allegedly searched some patrons and took their cellphones before fleeing in two unidentified vehicles. Two other vehicles were set on fire.\u00a0<\/p>\n
#sapsGP [GAUTENG POLICE LAUNCH MANHUNT AFTER 17 PEOPLE KILLED IN WEDELA TAVERN SHOOTING]Gauteng police have launched a manhunt for eight unidentified armed men following a deadly shooting at a tavern in Extension 3, Wedela, West Rand District, on Saturday, 26 September 2026, at\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/2G4jNsYcU6\u2014 SA Police Service \ud83c\uddff\ud83c\udde6 (@SAPoliceService) September 27, 2026 <\/p>\n
Thirteen men and four women were pronounced dead at the scene, and the wounded were taken to hospitals. Footage posted online appears to show the moment the shooting began, with people abruptly falling silent mid-song, then screaming as gunshots ring out in the background.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\ud83c\uddff\ud83c\udde6 AFRIQUE DU SUD : Au moins 27 morts dans deux fusillade \u00e0 Johannesburg, o\u00f9 huit hommes arm\u00e9s de fusils d’assaut ont ouvert le feu dans un bar, et dans un \u00e9tablissement de nuit pr\u00e8s du Cap. La police tente de localiser et appr\u00e9hender les suspects pic.twitter.com\/MeJH2aiDUS\u2014 Infos Fran\u00e7aises (@InfosFrancaises) September 27, 2026 <\/p>\n
BREAKING: A bloody weekend in South Africa leaves 27 dead after two separate overnight mass shootings. Gunmen killed 17 at a Wedela tavern near Johannesburg, while a separate attack in Cape Town’s Lwandle township left 10 dead.https:\/\/t.co\/dOr41GxiV9 pic.twitter.com\/MNkgY1AkrY\u2014 HINT News (@9415st) September 27, 2026 <\/p>\n
17 people were shot dead and 15 others injured in a suspected robbery at a tavern in Wedela Ext 3 near Carletonville . Two vehicles also burnt to ashes not too far from the scene. @Sowetan1981 pic.twitter.com\/zwM9eL85e8\u2014 Michelle Banda (@MimieShana) September 27, 2026 <\/p>\n
Police have mobilized detectives and specialized units to hunt down the suspects. No arrests have been announced and the motive remains unknown.
\nHours later, another mass shooting\u00a0struck an entertainment venue in Lwandle, outside Cape Town, around 1,000 km (620 miles) away. Gunmen entered the establishment at around 2:00 AM Sunday and opened fire on patrons. Five people died at the scene and another five succumbed to their injuries in hospital, according to police. Eleven others were wounded; a search for the attackers has been launched.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Eleven killed in South Africa house shooting<\/p>\n
The bloodshed comes amid South Africa\u2019s longstanding struggle with rampant violent crime and gun-related killings. The country consistently has among the world\u2019s highest homicide rates and has one of the highest in Africa. The massacres came just days after another mass shooting in KwaZulu-Natal province, near Durban, where gunmen stormed a house party and killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman.
\nEarlier this year, President Cyril\u00a0Ramaphosa described organized crime as the \u201cmost immediate threat\u201d to the country. In March, he authorized the deployment of more than 2,000 troops to support police in crime hotspots across five provinces heavily affected by gang violence and illegal mining: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, North West, and Western Cape.
\nDespite efforts to stem the violence, South Africa continues to record high levels of violent crime. The latest quarterly police statistics show 5,427 murders from April to June. While slightly down from 5,770 over the same period last year, the figure amounts to nearly 60 murders per day.
\nRamaphosa condemned the shootings on Sunday, saying \u201cit cannot go on like this,\u201d as he vowed that the security forces will \u201cpull out all stops\u201d to tackle the violence. He said the authorities will use technology to help track the attackers, but stressed that broader action is needed to stop people from \u201cjust pick[ing] up guns and starting shooting people at random.\u201d<\/p>\n
WATCH | President Cyril Ramaphosa says the deadly Wedela tavern shooting, which claimed 17 lives, underscores the urgent need to curb violent crime. He says technology is helping police identify the suspected gunmen. pic.twitter.com\/K3jPLWeVkJ\u2014 SABC News (@SABCNews) September 27, 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gunmen opened fire at venues near Johannesburg and Cape Town within hours of each other, triggering police manhunts At least 27 people were killed and 26 wounded in two mass…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38948,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t