South Africa: 27 Dead in Two Shootings Near Johannesburg and Cape Town

Sunday 27 September 2026 - 08:23

Two separate shootings have left at least 27 people dead and 26 injured within a few hours in South Africa. The attacks occurred from Saturday night to Sunday in establishments frequented in Wedela, southwest of Johannesburg, and Lwandle, near Cape Town. Law enforcement is still searching for the perpetrators.

Seventeen Dead in a Bar Near Johannesburg

The first attack took place on Saturday night around 9:30 PM in a bar in the township of Wedela, about 80 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg.

According to the South African police, eight armed men with assault rifles and handguns opened fire on customers. Seventeen people, including 13 men and four women, were killed. Fifteen others were injured by gunfire.

Investigators have not yet determined the motive for the attack. Authorities indicate that the assailants also robbed some customers of their phones before fleeing in two vehicles. Two cars were later reported to have been set on fire.

No arrests had been announced by Sunday morning, and the police launched an operation to locate the suspects.

A Second Deadly Attack Near Cape Town

A few hours later, another shooting erupted in the township of Lwandle, in the vicinity of Cape Town.

Armed men stormed into an establishment where customers were present and opened fire around 1:46 AM on Sunday. Five victims died on the spot, and five others succumbed to their injuries after being transferred to medical facilities. Eleven people were also injured.

The precise circumstances of this second attack remain to be established. As in the case of Wedela, no suspects had been arrested at the time of the initial communications from authorities.

A Series of Attacks Raising Concerns

These two shootings come just days after another deadly mass attack near Durban, where eleven people were killed in a shooting at a house party.

The succession of these tragedies occurs in a country that has long faced a high level of violent crime. South African authorities regularly attribute some shootings to gang rivalries and organized criminal activities, but the motive for the two attacks that occurred this weekend had not yet been established by Sunday.

Investigators Continue Their Search for Suspects

The South African police have deployed investigators and several units to identify the perpetrators of the two shootings. At this stage, authorities have announced no arrests in either case.

Investigations will need to determine whether the two attacks are linked or if they are separate incidents. The exact circumstances and motives remain to be established by investigators.