Overview
- The weekend shootings, which took place on Saturday night and early Sunday, have left 28 people dead after another victim from the Wedela attack died in hospital and dozens more were wounded.
- At the Wedela tavern near Johannesburg, police say eight gunmen armed with AK-47s and pistols opened fire, robbed patrons of phones, set vehicles alight and have now faced upgraded charges linked to 18 deaths.
- In Lwandle near Cape Town, gunmen attacked an entertainment venue and killed 10 people while wounding 11, with investigators examining leads including possible business rivalry.
- Police have deployed specialised multidisciplinary teams and the South African National Defence Force to support manhunts and forensic work, but no arrests have been reported and investigators say motives remain unconfirmed.
- Security experts and politicians warn the attacks highlight systemic problems of illegal firearms, weak crime intelligence and organised-crime links such as illicit mining, fueling calls for stronger ballistics tracing and preventive policing ahead of the elections.