Eleven people killed in shooting at Durban township homestead
Eleven people, including a pregnant woman, were killed when armed assailants opened fire at a homestead in KwaMakhutha, south of Durban, according to South African officials. Three people survived. Police said the motive was unclear but had identified a promising lead and launched a 72-hour operation to find those responsible.
Eleven people were killed when armed attackers entered a homestead in KwaMakhutha, a township south of Durban, and opened fire, South African officials said on Wednesday. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli said the victims, including a pregnant woman, had gathered at the house shortly before 11pm when the assailants reportedly arrived. Three other people survived the attack, police said.
The motive was not immediately known. Police said investigators were following a promising lead that could assist the case. Acting national police chief Puleng Dimpane ordered a 72-hour tracking operation to identify and arrest those responsible.
Ntuli said the incident had left the community in shock and grief. A local television report said the attackers forced people into one room before shooting them and set fire to a vehicle belonging to one of the victims. That account was attributed to eNCA.
The shooting occurred amid widespread concern about violent crime and firearms in South Africa. The supplied report said shootings are frequently linked to gang rivalry and competition between informal businesses, but it did not establish a motive in this case. Police called for decisive action and said those responsible should be brought before the courts.
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