South African police probe mining feud shooting, 27 dead as elections near

South African police on Sunday were hunting the perpetrators of two separate shootings that killed 27 people within hours of each other, in stark reminders of the country’s problem with gun violence.

Officials were still establishing the motives for the shootings near Johannesburg and Cape Town, but initial investigations suggested one could be a turf war between illegal miners and the other a business rivalry.

Violent crime remains rife in South Africa, despite government efforts to curb one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world.

In Wedela township, about 80 km (50 miles) from Johannesburg, 17 people were killed and 15 injured at a tavern when suspects armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire at around 9:30pm on Saturday, according to police.