By Paul Joseph
At least 27 people have been killed in two separate mass shootings in South Africa within hours of each other, with 15 others injured in the first attack and 11 wounded in the second.
Seventeen people were killed on Saturday evening after eight gunmen reportedly stormed a bar near Johannesburg and opened fire on customers before fleeing the scene.
Police said 13 men and four women were among those killed, while 15 other people sustained injuries.
The attackers reportedly fired at people outside the bar before continuing the shooting inside. They also allegedly set two vehicles ablaze as they escaped.
South African police said no arrests had been made as of Sunday morning.
Deputy provincial police commissioner Maj Gen Fred Kekana said investigators were examining a possible link to an earlier incident in which one person was killed and another injured.
Kekana said police had obtained clear images of some of the suspects and, in certain cases, had identified their names.
Hours later, another shooting occurred outside an entertainment venue in a township near Cape Town.
Ten people were killed in the attack, with five victims dying at the scene and another five later dying in hospital. Eleven others were injured.
Authorities had yet to establish a motive for either shooting or announce arrests.
The latest attacks came only days after 11 people were killed when gunmen reportedly stormed a house in KwaMakhutha township in Durban.
South Africa has battled high levels of violent crime and gun-related killings for decades, with illegal firearms and gang activity contributing to the problem.
The recent series of mass shootings has renewed concerns over organised violence, particularly conflicts involving gangs linked to drug trafficking and illegal mining.
President Cyril Ramaphosa described organised crime earlier this year as a major threat to South Africa’s democracy, society and economic development.
The government has also deployed the military alongside police in areas recording some of the country’s highest murder rates in an effort to curb armed violence.
Meanwhile, police in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, were investigating the discovery of the body of a tenth woman in the area.
Authorities said they had not ruled out the possibility of a serial killer being responsible, citing similarities between some of the deaths.
The latest shootings have added to growing concerns over gun violence in South Africa, where police continue to investigate the circumstances and possible motives behind the attacks.
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