South African police have launched manhunts after three mass shootings killed at least 32 people. Police were searching for suspects early Monday after separate shootings took place over the weekend in impoverished townships, including Wedela in West Rand District outside Johannesburg, Lwandle in Western Cape, and Khayelitsha in Western Cape. It cannot go on like this.” He pledged stronger action by security forces to reduce violent crime in the country.
The shootings came amid a recent spate of mass shootings and other killings that have alarmed South Africans. Authorities have linked some of the attacks to criminal gangs fighting over territory or illicit businesses like illegal mining, drug trafficking, and extortion. South African police define a mass shooting as a single attack that results in three or more people shot.
In March, Ramaphosa deployed soldiers to support police as part of a yearlong operation against gang violence and illegal mining, including operations around Johannesburg. The President described organized crime as the most immediate threat to the country’s democracy and economic development. Some observers, however, noted that the deployment was an overdue attempt to address the police’s failure to keep communities, especially in poorer townships, safe.
Read More: What South Africa Can Teach Us as Worldwide Inequality Grows Eighteen people were killed and more than a dozen wounded in a shooting in the township of Wedela on Saturday night. Police said eight men opened fire on patrons drinking outside a tavern at around 9:30 p.m. local time, before entering the bar and “shooting at patrons inside.” The perpetrators allegedly searched some patrons and stole cellphones before escaping in two unidentified vehicles. The attackers allegedly carried pistols and AK-47 rifles.
Two vehicles were also burnt during the attack. Seventeen people died at the scene, including 13 men and four women. Police identified two of the deceased victims as South Africans and another two as Lesotho nationals.
Fifteen injured victims were transported to hospital for treatment, with several in critical condition. Another victim died in hospital, police said on Monday, bringing the death toll to 18. Gauteng Deputy Police Commissioner Fred Kekana said police had a clear picture of the suspects and their names, according to local media reports.
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