At least 11 people, including a three-year-old child, have been killed in a mass shooting at a hostel in Saulsville township, west of Pretoria.
Fourteen others were injured after gunmen stormed the area early on Saturday. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said at least three armed men opened fire at about 04:30 local time on a group of people who were drinking.
Mathe said the attackers fired randomly, adding that the motive remains unknown and no arrests have been made. She confirmed that 25 people were shot in total. A 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were among the victims.
She described the hostel as an illegal shebeen and noted that many mass shootings take place in such unlicensed drinking spots. She said innocent people often get caught in the crossfire.
Police have carried out a major crackdown on illegal liquor businesses this year. Between April and September, officers shut more than 12,000 of these outlets and arrested over 18,000 people nationwide.
South Africa continues to struggle with high levels of violent crime. The country records one of the highest murder rates in the world, with 45 killings per 100,000 people according to 2023-24 data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Police figures also show that between April and September, an average of 63 people were killed each day.
