Key takeaways:
- Police said three gunmen opened fire on 14 people at a house in KwaMakhutha late Tuesday, killing 10 at the scene and one later in hospital.
- Authorities said some victims were being monitored over suspected illegal activities, but police did not disclose details, citing the investigation.
- Police said the motive had not been confirmed and launched a manhunt for the suspects, while saying a feud between rival groupings could not be ruled out.
Gunmen stormed a house party in a township near Durban late Tuesday and opened fire, killing at least 11 people, including a pregnant woman, South African authorities said.
The shooting happened in KwaMakhutha, in KwaZulu-Natal province, shortly before 11 p.m., according to provincial Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli. Police said 14 people — 13 men and one woman believed to be pregnant — were inside the house when three men arrived and started shooting.
Ten people died at the scene, police said. Four others were taken to hospital, where one later died from injuries. Ntuli said two people survived the attack.
“The incident has left the community in profound shock and grief,” Ntuli said.
Police said the motive had not been confirmed, but they were investigating whether the killings were linked to a dispute. “Although the motive for the shooting has not yet been confirmed, a feud between rival groupings cannot be ruled out,” police said.
Authorities also said some of the victims were being monitored in connection with suspected illegal activities. Police said they could not “divulge” details “at the moment to protect investigations which have been launched.”
Local broadcaster eNCA reported that the attackers forced those inside the home into a single room before opening fire. The broadcaster also reported that the gunmen set fire to a car belonging to one of the victims before fleeing. Footage from the scene showed a burned-out vehicle.
A resident who spoke to eNCA described disbelief after the killings. “It’s shocking and sad. These are guys I grew up with. I can’t believe it. It’s like a movie,” the resident said. “I’ve been staying here all my life, and I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Police said they had launched a manhunt for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates. Police data show the country records the equivalent of more than 60 killings a day, while Al Jazeera reported an average of about 60 people killed daily in a population of roughly 62 million.
The KwaMakhutha shooting comes amid heightened concern over violent crime in South Africa. The BBC reported that the discovery in recent weeks of at least nine murdered women, some of whose bodies were dumped by roadsides, has increased fear in the country. Last year, nine people were killed in a mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg.
Violence linked to rival criminal groups, turf wars, drug trafficking and illegal mining is common in some communities. In February, President Cyril Ramaphosa described organised crime as “the most immediate threat to our democracy, our society and our economic development” as he announced that the army would be deployed to support police. Al Jazeera reported that soldiers were deployed alongside national police in March to violent hotspots to tackle crime.
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