Eleven shot dead at a KwaMakhutha house party as police hunt three gunmen
Ten people died at the scene near Durban and a pregnant woman was among the dead, with police unable to rule out a feud between rival groupings.
Eleven people are dead after three men opened fire on a house party in the KwaMakhutha township, south of Durban, late on Tuesday night.
Police said 14 people were in the house when the gunmen arrived. Ten died at the scene. Four were taken to hospital, where one more died of their injuries.
According to the police statement, the group inside the house was made up of 13 men and one woman, who is believed to have been pregnant. She is among the dead.
The BBC reported the attack on Wednesday, citing police. Its account said some of the victims were on the police’s watch in connection with illegal activities, which the police said they could not disclose at this stage to protect the investigations that have been launched.
The motive has not been confirmed. Police said they could not rule out a feud between rival groupings.
A reporter from the eNCA channel at the scene said the gunmen set fire to a vehicle belonging to one of the victims before fleeing. Footage from the scene showed the burnt-out car.
No arrests have been announced. The South African Police Service has opened investigations, and the case falls to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation where organised or gang-related violence is suspected.
KwaMakhutha sits on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast, roughly 30km from central Durban, and forms part of the eThekwini metro. Mass shootings in the province have in the past been linked to taxi route disputes, drug turf and extortion rackets, though police have not tied Tuesday’s attack to any of those.
The killing of a pregnant woman and the scale of the death toll will be felt across the community. Funerals for 11 people require arrangements that most households in a township cannot carry alone, and the provincial government’s disaster and social development teams are typically activated for incidents of this size.
South Africa’s murder rate remains among the highest in the world. Police data cited by the BBC puts the figure at more than 60 deaths a day. The most recent quarterly crime statistics released by the SAPS show KwaZulu-Natal consistently among the provinces with the highest counts of murder and attempted murder.
The attack comes amid heightened public attention on violence against women. In recent weeks, at least nine murdered women have been discovered, some of their bodies dumped by the roadside, and protests have followed near Johannesburg. Last year, nine people were killed in a mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg.
Anyone with information on the KwaMakhutha attack is asked to contact their nearest police station or Crime Stop on 08600 10111. Calls may be made anonymously.
Source: BBC News Africa, Eleven killed in mass shooting at house in South Africa
