Gunmen attacked a hostel in Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday, killing 11 people, including a three-year-old child, in what police described as a site illegally selling alcohol.
The incident marks the latest in a series of mass shootings that have left South Africa, a nation of 63 million, grappling with one of the world’s highest murder rates.
“I can confirm that a total of 25 people were shot,” said police spokeswoman Athlenda Mathe, noting that 14 victims had been taken to hospital. Ten people died at the scene in Saulsville township, 18 kilometres west of Pretoria, while another succumbed to injuries in hospital.
Mathe explained that three gunmen entered the hostel’s “illegal shebeen” at around 4:30 am (0230 GMT) and indiscriminately fired at a group of men who were drinking. Among the dead were a 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl.
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“Quite an unfortunate incident. Police were only alerted to this incident at around 6 o’clock,” Mathe said. She added that the motive remained unknown and that no arrests had been made, with a manhunt ongoing.
“We are having a serious challenge when it comes to these illegal and unlicensed liquor premises,” Mathe said, noting that such sites are where “most mass shootings occur.” She warned, “Innocent people also get caught up in the crossfire,” in remarks to public broadcaster SABC.
South Africa, the continent’s most industrialised nation, faces deep-rooted crime and corruption, often driven by organised networks. Mass shootings are common and frequently linked to gang violence and alcohol. While many citizens legally own firearms for protection, the country is awash with illegal guns.
Police data shows that some 63 people were killed each day between April and September, one of the world’s highest murder rates. Many deaths result from arguments, with robberies and gang-related violence also contributing.
Recent attacks include a gang-related shooting in Johannesburg in October, where two teenagers were killed and five others wounded, and a May tavern attack in Durban, which left eight customers dead. Last year, 18 relatives were shot at a rural homestead in the Eastern Cape Province
