Three mass shootings killed at least 38 people and wounded nearly 30 in South African townships over six days. Police said all involved multiple gunmen. Such shootings are largely linked to crime, not ideology or personal grievances; authorities link many to gangs.
At the Wedela bar near Johannesburg, 17 people were killed; police said eight suspects carried out the attack and were being sought. Hours later, multiple attackers killed 10 at a store connected to a nighttime entertainment venue in Lwandle near Cape Town. On Tuesday night, three gunmen killed 11 at a house party in KwaMakhutha near Durban. The acting provincial commissioner said police were investigating a possible revenge motive in Wedela because one victim was linked to an earlier shooting.
Authorities say many shootings are linked to gangs fighting over territory or using violence to control communities. Illegal mining gangs operate around Johannesburg; in Cape Town and other areas, gangs involved in drug sales or extortion have been responsible for shootings. The killings mostly affect poor communities; experts cite distance from police stations and poor lighting as factors that leave townships vulnerable. Soldiers were deployed in March for a yearlong operation supporting police against organized gangs. Critics said using the army amounted to an admission that police had failed.
