Hassan Isilow
11 January 2025•Update: 11 January 2025
JOHANNESBURG
Police in South Africa are investigating a mass shooting incident that occurred in the early hours of Saturday in the Pienaar area of Mpumalanga province.
Police said in a statement that six people, including a woman, were fatally shot by unidentified gunmen who opened fire outside a tavern in Pienaar, near the town of Nelspruit.
Two other victims, a male and female, succumbed to their injuries later in hospital, police said, adding that three others are receiving treatment.
“The motive behind the shooting is still unknown at this stage, and circumstances surrounding this incident are under investigation," the statement said.
Mass shootings have become more frequent in South Africa, a country with one of the highest crime rates in the world. Eighteen people were killed in a mass shooting in the town of Lusikisiki, in the Eastern Cape province, were targeted in September 2024.
