Johannesburg – Gunmen opened fire on a vehicle carrying Lesotho nationals in South Africa on Tuesday, killing at least six people and wounding more than a dozen others, police said.
It was the latest mass shooting in the crime-weary country, where more than 60 homicides are recorded on average each day.
The attack occurred near the town of Meyerton, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Johannesburg, provincial deputy police commissioner Major General Fred Kekana told reporters at the scene.
The assailants fired “unprovoked” on the vehicle when it was travelling towards Lesotho, he said.
“The driver of the bus tried to push them off the road so that they don’t continue shooting at them and causing harm. Fortunately, he managed to distract them.”
The gunmen then hijacked another vehicle, triggering a police chase involving canine units, drones and helicopters, which led to the arrest of three suspects, Kekana added.
Among the dead were four women and two men.
All of the passengers, including 18 who had been hospitalised, were Lesotho nationals, said Kekana.
South Africa, the continent’s most industrialised nation, is grappling with a high rate of crime, much of it driven by organised networks and gangs.
The country is awash with legal and illegal firearms, and shootings are common, often fuelled by gang rivalry and competition between informal businesses.
Two separate mass shootings in December, in which gunmen stormed a hostel and a bar, left two dozen people dead, including several children.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, X and Instagram
Picture: Pixabay
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Betha Madhomu
