At least 11 people – including a three-year-old child – have been killed in a mass shooting at a hostel in South Africa.
Fourteen others were wounded when gunmen stormed the venue in Saulsville township, west of the capital Pretoria, early on Saturday.
According to police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, at least three unknown gunmen began firing 'randomly' at a group of people who were drinking.
The motive of the shooting is still unclear, and no arrests have been made. This incident adds to a growing list of mass shootings that have plagued South Africa, a country already struggling with high crime rates.
The gunmen reportedly entered the premise at 04:30 local time (02:30 GMT) and targeted a group of men. Among the deceased were a 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl.
Mathe confirmed that a total of 25 people had been shot during the attack, emphasizing that the hostel was operating as an 'illegal shebeen'.
She expressed concern regarding illegal and unlicensed liquor establishments, noting that many mass shootings occur in such venues where innocent bystanders can easily become victims.
In an effort to combat this issue, police have shut down over 12,000 illegal liquor outlets and arrested more than 18,000 individuals throughout the year.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates globally, with 45 homicides per 100,000 people as recorded in 2023-24 data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Statistics reflect an alarming average of 63 murder victims daily from April to September, highlighting the severity of crime in the nation.
