The past weekend alone was brutal for the country, as mass shootings claimed the lives of at least 28 people and wounded nearly 35 others in separate incidents.
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The South African Police Service (Saps) in Mpumalanga, together with various law enforcement agencies, arrested 1 142 suspects during a recent Operation Shanela operation across the province.
The operation was conducted from 24 to 27 September 2026.
17 firearms, which consisted of 14 handguns, two rifles and one shotgun, as well as 709 rounds of live ammunition, were confiscated.
The past weekend alone was brutal for the country, as mass shootings claimed the lives of at least 28 people and wounded nearly 35 others in separate incidents.
The first incident happened at a tavern in Wedela, Carletonville, claiming the lives of 18 people, leaving nearly two dozen dead.
The second shooting in Lwandle, Western Cape claimed the lives of 10 people, leaving 11 other people injured at the scene of the crime.
Aside from the murders reported this past weekend, other killings include those in Ekurhuleni, where the 11th woman’s body was found in Springs.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the recent mass killings; he also said that security measures have been intensified to curb the country’s murder rate.
Ramaphosa is confident that the suspects responsible for the shootings will be apprehended, with police searching for at least eight suspects.
Since the shootings in Gauteng, police chief Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni has put together a multidisciplinary team to investigate these horrific shootings.
