South African house party shooting kills 11, could be gang violence

JOHANNESBURG: Three armed men opened fire on guests at a house party in a township south of the South African city of Durban on Tuesday night (Sep 22), killing at least 11 and injuring three, in what police said could be a gang-related incident.

A woman believed to be pregnant and 13 men were among those attending the party in the township of KwaMakhutha in KwaZulu-Natal province, police said on Wednesday in a statement on X.

"Ten victims, including the woman, died at the scene and four were taken to hospital, where one of them succumbed to gunshot injuries," they added in a statement.

The motive for the attack is not known, but police said "a feud between rival groupings cannot be ruled out". Police have launched a manhunt for the three suspects.

Some of the victims were on the radar of crime intelligence in connection with illegal activities, police said, without giving more details.

South Africa has one of the world's highest murder rates, averaging about 60 a day.

Violent crime remains a key concern for voters ahead of municipal elections in November