AI image
At least 11 people, including a three-year-old child, were killed when gunmen stormed a hostel operating as an illegal bar in Pretoria’s Saulsville township early on Saturday, according to police. Another 14 people were wounded in the attack, which is the latest in a series of mass shootings that have shaken South Africa, a country grappling with one of the highest murder rates in the world.Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe was quoted by news agency AFP as saying that a total of “25 people were shot”, with 10 victims dying at the scene and another in hospital. She said three gunmen entered the “illegal shebeen” at around 4:30 am and “indiscriminately fired at a group of men who were drinking”. A 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were also among the dead, according to AFP.“We are having a serious challenge when it comes to these illegal and unlicensed liquor premises,” Mathe said, noting that many mass shootings occur at such locations. “Innocent people also get caught up in the crossfire,” she told public broadcaster SABC.The motive for the shooting remains unknown, and no arrests have been made so far. A manhunt is under way for at least three unidentified suspects, police said, reported Reuters.South Africa continues to battle entrenched crime, with shootings often linked to gang violence or alcohol-fuelled disputes. According to police data cited by AFP, around 63 people were killed each day between April and September. The country has experienced several high-profile mass shootings in recent months, including attacks in Johannesburg, Durban and the Eastern Cape.
