Two mass shootings in South Africa killed at least 27 people, with 17 slain in a bar attack in Johannesburg and 10 in a shisanyama venue in Cape Town. Police are searching for eight suspects linked to the Johannesburg incident and a separate group in Cape Town.
The Johannesburg attack, which occurred on Saturday night, involved eight gunmen armed with AK-47s who opened fire at a bar in Wedela, killing 17 and wounding 15. Two vehicles were set alight during the incident. The Cape Town shooting, which took place around 1:46 am on Sunday, resulted in 10 deaths and 11 injuries.
South Africa's police service is investigating the shootings as part of a broader crackdown on organized crime, with officials citing a rise in mass killings linked to territorial disputes and illegal mining activities. The incidents follow a recent mass shooting in KwaMakhutha that killed 11 people, including a pregnant woman.
The shootings are part of a concerning trend in South Africa, with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime reporting at least 196 mass killings in 2026 alone. Police are seeking to identify the perpetrators and address the underlying criminal networks driving the violence.