South African police launched a manhunt Saturday for armed assailants who stormed a tavern in Olievenhoutbosch township, killing five patrons and injuring three others in a late-night shooting spree.
The attack occurred around 10:30 pm (2030 GMT) Friday when approximately 10 gunmen entered the bar located 25 kilometers (16 miles) south of Pretoria and “started shooting randomly without saying a word,” according to police reports. The victims included three men and two women.
“The motive for the shooting is unknown at this stage,” police said in an official statement, as forensic teams combed the crime scene in the high-crime area.
This latest incident adds to South Africa’s grim statistics of over 75 daily murders, with police recording more than 27,600 homicides during the 2023-2024 financial year. Most victims are young black men in urban areas, where gang violence and alcohol-related crimes proliferate.
While many South Africans legally own firearms for protection, authorities acknowledge a proliferation of illegal weapons fueling the violence. A newly published national security strategy warned of escalating threats, stating that crime syndicates may soon deploy “more dangerous and sophisticated weapons.”
The redacted government report cautioned: “If the problem of gangsterism is not addressed, gangs will continue to occupy social spaces and create no-go areas and in turn fuel vigilantism as (communities) attempt to reclaim spaces and protect themselves from crimes perpetrated by gangs.”
Friday’s massacre follows a pattern of similar tavern shootings that have plagued South African townships in recent years, with investigators often struggling to determine whether the attacks stem from gang conflicts, business disputes, or other criminal motives.
Authorities have appealed for witnesses to come forward as they work to identify and apprehend the perpetrators behind this latest outbreak of gun violence in one of the world’s most murder-prone nations.