Death toll rises to 18 after Wedela tavern mass shooting

The death toll from a mass shooting at a tavern in Wedela, west of Johannesburg, has risen to 18 after another victim died in hospital, police said.

Police told national media that eight gunmen armed with assault rifles entered the bar late on Saturday in the semi-rural township and killed 13 men and four women. The statement added that only four of the deceased have been identified, two South Africans and two nationals of Lesotho.

“One more victim has died in hospital, bringing the total number of deceased to 18,” police said. “Only four of the deceased have been identified, two South Africans and two Lesotho nationals.”

The attack took place in Wedela, about 80 kilometres from central Johannesburg. The motive for the shooting was not clear, but reports say the area is gripped by rivalry between gangs involved in illicit gold mining.

Thousands of unregistered miners operate in abandoned shafts in South Africa, the reports said, with many coming from across southern Africa, including Lesotho. The informal mining sector has been linked to organised crime, assassinations and other illegal activity, according to the coverage of the incident.

The Wedela attack was part of a violent weekend. In a separate shooting outside Cape Town, gunmen killed 10 people and wounded 11 at an entertainment venue early on Sunday, the reports said.

Both accounts described South Africa as having wide availability of legal and illegal firearms and frequent shootings, often fuelled by gang rivalry, extortion and competition between informal businesses. The country, with a population of about 62 million, was reported as recording roughly 60 murders each day.

Sources: Channels Television, Vanguard.

Featured image: Aeroprints.com via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.