In Soweto, southwest of the South African economic capital, police were called shortly after midnight. “When we arrived, we found 12 people dead with gunshot wounds,” said Nonhlanhla Kubheka, a local police officer.
A dozen wounded were taken to hospital and three died shortly after arriving, she said.
The victims are young, aged between 19 and 35.
The assailants “came in and shot at people who were having fun,” said Ms Kubheka, of the Orlando police station, the area where the shooting took place.
“According to witnesses, they shot at random” before leaving in a white van, confirmed Elias Mawela, the regional police chief.
“There was no provocation, people were relaxing, some were playing pool,” said Faith Mazibuko, the provincial official in charge of security.
The number of shell casings found on the ground “suggests that we are dealing with several shooters and that they used AK-47 assault rifles,” Mawela said.
In the township of Sweetwaters, near Pietermaritzburg, the shooting broke out at a bar at about 8.30pm (1830 GMT) on Saturday, killing four people and injuring eight, according to local police spokeswoman Nqobile Gwala.
“People were having a drink and a car pulled up in front of the black-fronted bar,” she said in a statement. “Two men jumped out of the car, went inside and opened fire indiscriminately on the customers.
Twelve people were shot. Two died on the spot and two later in hospital, she said. The dead were aged between 30 and 45.
According to Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebola, everything went very quickly. No robbery, no conversation or fight. But the elected official, wearing a jacket in the colors of the ANC, the historic party in power, puts things into perspective: “Every week, we learn that people have been shot at random.
Eighteen people were killed in shootings at two bars in South Africa
