JOHANNESBURG: The death toll in a mass shooting in a South African tavern has risen to 18 after one person died in hospital, police said on Monday (Sep 28), adding that at least two of the dead were Lesotho nationals.
The shooting west of Johannesburg late Saturday was part of a bloody weekend in the crime-weary country, with 10 people killed in another mass shooting in Cape Town on Sunday.
Eight gunmen armed with assault rifles stormed the bar in the semi-rural township of Wedela, around 80km from central Johannesburg, killing 13 men and four women, police said.
“One more victim has died in hospital, bringing the total number of deceased to 18,” they said on Monday. Eighteen people were wounded.
“Only four of the deceased have been identified, two South Africans and two Lesotho nationals.”
The motive for the attack was not clear, but police said it may have been retaliation for an incident in the same tavern in August when one person was killed and another wounded.
The area was gripped by rivalry between gangs involved in illicit mining for gold, the tavern owner told local journalists at the scene, where bloodied clothes lay on the ground.
“Even if they finish investigating, I am scared to continue selling again. I am too scared,” she said, hiding her identity.
Thousands of unregistered miners operate in abandoned mining shafts in South Africa, in a sector linked to organised crime, assassinations and other illegal activities.
Many come from across southern Africa, including the kingdom of Lesotho, which is embedded within South Africa.
MASS KILLINGS
In a separate shooting at the weekend, gunmen killed 10 people and wounded 11 more at an eating and drinking venue in a township outside Cape Town early on Sunday.
In video clips shared on social media, revellers can be seen dancing and drinking before a burst of gunfire rings out, sending people scrambling for cover.
Police said it was not clear what prompted the attack in Lwandle, but one official said it may have been business rivalry.
There had been no arrests in either of the mass killings.
