Story perspectives

Police manhunt after 27 killed in two township shootings

By Drooid · Sep 27, 2026, 9:57 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

South Africa Manhunt

South African police launched a manhunt after gunmen killed 27 people in two township shootings.
Eight suspects with AK-47s and pistols opened fire at 9:30 pm, seized phones and fled in vehicles.
Seventeen died and fifteen were wounded at a Wedela bar, Johannesburg, Saturday.
In Lwandle near Cape Town, ten were killed and eleven injured at an entertainment venue after midnight.
Detectives are probing murder and attempted-murder cases despite no arrests.

Summary

Police Offer Reward

Authorities offered a 400,000 rand reward for information leading to the arrest of the women’s killer(s).
The Gender-Based Violence Command Centre logged 6,782 distress calls between September 1 and 16, a 21 % rise from August.
Gauteng Police Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said similarities suggest a possible serial killer, though not yet confirmed.
Two female suspects, aged 31 and 38, were arrested and charged in connection with the ninth victim.

History

Historical Context

The 27 April 1994 multiracial election, won by the African National Congress and ushering Nelson Mandela to the presidency, ended apartheid but coincided with a sharp rise in homicide rates. Between 1994 and 1998 murders climbed from 12.5 to 30.5 per 100,000 people—a 144 % increase—prompting the 2000 Firearms Control Act, yet today’s township massacres echo that early surge.

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South Africa Manhunt

South African police launched a manhunt after gunmen killed 27 people in two township shootings.
Eight suspects with AK-47s and pistols opened fire at 9:30 pm, seized phones and fled in vehicles.
Seventeen died and fifteen were wounded at a Wedela bar, Johannesburg, Saturday.
In Lwandle near Cape Town, ten were killed and eleven injured at an entertainment venue after midnight.
Detectives are probing murder and attempted-murder cases despite no arrests.

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