South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has reacted strongly to the deadly Wedela tavern shooting, saying the massacre is another stark reminder of the serious levels of violent crime facing South Africa.
The attack at Dora’s Tavern in Extension 3, Wedela, near Carletonville, initially left 17 people dead and 15 others wounded. The death toll later rose to 18 after one of the injured victims died in hospital.
Wedela Tavern Shooting Leaves 18 Dead
The attack happened on Saturday night when armed men opened fire on patrons inside and outside the tavern.
Police said the suspects were armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols. They allegedly first opened fire on people outside before entering the tavern and continuing to shoot at patrons inside.
The attackers also allegedly searched some victims and took their cellphones before fleeing in two unidentified vehicles. Two vehicles were also set alight during the incident.
Police have since confirmed that the shooting resulted in 18 deaths, while 18 people were injured. Investigators have opened murder, attempted murder and other related cases.
Police Hunt Eight Suspects
Gauteng police have launched a major manhunt for eight unidentified armed men believed to be responsible for the attack.
Specialised police units and detectives have been deployed to process the crime scene and track down the suspects.
Police have also established a dedicated multidisciplinary team involving murder and robbery detectives, Crime Intelligence and Crime Scene Investigation members.
No arrests had been made at the time of the latest police updates.
Ramaphosa Vows Action Against Violent Crime
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the deadly attack showed the urgent need to confront violent crime in South Africa.
“We cannot be a country where people just pick up guns and start shooting randomly and making the people of South Africa unsafe.”
Ramaphosa said technology had already helped police obtain and identify images of the suspected gunmen, providing investigators with important leads as the manhunt continues.
He also said security forces would continue efforts to deal with criminality and violence.
Possible Motive Under Investigation
The motive for the Wedela shooting remains under investigation.
Police have been examining several possible lines of inquiry. These include robbery, retaliation and possible links to illegal mining activities in the West Rand. Police have not established a final motive.
The area has been affected by illegal mining activity, and investigators are looking into whether the shooting could be connected to conflicts involving illegal miners.
Wedela Shooting Part of Deadly Weekend
The Wedela attack happened during a particularly violent weekend in South Africa.
Hours later, another shooting in Lwandle near Cape Town left 10 people dead and 11 wounded. The two incidents were treated as separate cases, with investigations continuing into their motives.
The two attacks initially brought the combined death toll to 27 before the Wedela death toll later rose to 18.
Manhunt Continues
Police and specialised investigative teams continue to search for the suspects responsible for the Wedela tavern shooting.
Authorities are appealing to anyone with information that could help identify or locate the suspects to come forward as investigations continue.
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