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South African police on Sunday continued to pursue the perpetrators of two separate shootings that resulted in the deaths of 27 people within a few hours, highlighting the problem of gun violence in the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa commented on the incidents, which came just days after another shooting incident that claimed the lives of 11 people at a house party near Durban, saying "Things cannot continue this way."
Authorities are still working to determine the motives behind the two shootings that occurred near Johannesburg and Cape Town, but initial investigations suggest that one may be linked to a power struggle between illegal miners, and the other to a business rivalry.
Ramaphosa told local media "This is the level of crime we need to reduce, and our security forces will continue to make every effort."
Violent crimes are widespread in South Africa despite efforts to reduce murder rates, which are among the highest in the world relative to population size.
- Attack inside a bar
Police said 17 people were killed and 15 injured in a bar in the town of Wedela, about 80 kilometers from Johannesburg, after suspects armed with AK-47s opened fire.
Ramaphosa noted that the police have photos of the suspects in the incident and are tracking them down.
Tommy Mthombeni, the regional police commissioner, told journalists that one line of investigation suggests the shooting may be linked to a "power struggle in illegal mining activities."
He added that the shooting incident at the bar on Saturday may have been in retaliation for another incident that occurred at the same location about a month ago.
Mthombeni noted that the identities of all the dead and injured have not yet been determined, but among them are citizens of South Africa and Lesotho, as well as an Ethiopian national among the injured.
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