JOHANNESBURG: Gunmen killed 27 people and wounded 26 others in two South African mass shootings near Johannesburg and Cape Town over the weekend, police said on Sunday.
Eight attackers stormed a bar in Wedela, southwest of Johannesburg, on Saturday evening, killed 17 people and injured 15 others.
Police said the gunmen first fired at customers outside before continuing the attack inside. They later torched two vehicles and fled. Thirteen men and four women were killed.
Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni said investigators were considering robbery because the gunmen took belongings. Police had not ruled out a dispute involving illegal mining groups.
Hours later, gunmen attacked an entertainment venue in Lwandle, near Cape Town. Ten people were killed and 11 others wounded.
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Five victims died at the scene. Another five died after reaching hospital. Police had not established a definitive motive for either shooting by Sunday morning, and no arrests had been made.
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The attacks followed another mass shooting near Durban days earlier. Eleven people were killed when gunmen entered a house in KwaMakhutha township.
South Africa has struggled with persistent armed violence and illegal firearms. The country records about 60 murders each day.
Police continued searching for suspects in both weekend attacks. Gunmen killed 27 people and wounded 26 others in two shootings near Johannesburg and Cape Town within hours of each other.
