Cape Town — South Africa’s history of violence and killings has been a long one, and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu revealed mass shootings have increased sharply over the years.
The latest incident occurred in Mpumalanga when eight people were killed in a mass-shooting incident, in what was believed to be a gang-related incident, Mpumalanga community safety MEC, Jackie Macie said.
Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, shared the stats of people who have lost their lives in mass shootings between 2019 and 2023. He was responding to a question from Rise Mzansi, The Citizen reported.
“In total, 9 073 victims were killed over the five-year period, and 218 individuals were injured in multiple shooting incidents. The 2023-2024 period recorded the highest number of victims, with 2 859 fatalities, an increase from the previous year’s 2 524,” he said.
He said 1 986 arrests were made in connection to the cases, while there were 143 multiple murder cases, with 22 illegal firearms linked to the crimes.
According to William Els, an Institute for Security Studies senior crime specialist, mass shootings have become alarmingly common in South Africa, to the point of becoming the norm.
“The reason for this increase is that people often get away with it. If you know you’re going to get away with it, it won’t deter you from doing it again,” Els said.
He said mass shootings have remained unresolved, meaning the perpetrators have become more brazen, and the best way to stop it is by making swift arrests. South Africa currently ranks in the top 10 globally for murders.
The Minister of Police, @Senzo_Mchunu_ has disclosed in reply to a RISE Mzansi written parliamentary question, that between 2019/20 and 2023/24 there have been 9,073
mass shootings or multiple murder incidents.Over the same period, as a result
of these incidents:
• 1,986… pic.twitter.com/cAYbxhuQex— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) January 11, 2025
“According to the Organised Crime Index, we are number one in the Southern African Development Community, number three in Africa, and number seven in the world for organised crime. Against this backdrop, the situation is not improving,” he said.
Els said mass shootings in South Africa are often linked to gang disputes, competition in the taxi industry, political infighting and illegal mining. He said it was easy for South Africans to settle scores this way, and it is a sick reflection of the society we have created.
Independent crime expert Chris De Kock said that tracking and preventing these incidents has become difficult. He also highlighted the lack of effective crime intelligence as a major issue.
According to eNCA, IRS Forensic Investigator, Chad Thomas, explained that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has a high number of convictions as they only enroll cases with chances of a successful prosecution.
He said former Police Minister, Bheki Cele, revealed that more than 5 million dockets were closed, meaning suspects were not persecuted and there was no justice for the victims.
“Criminals are not being held to account. There are no consequences for their most horrific acts. When there’s no consequences or no accountability, you find opportunistic criminals starting climbing the rungs and, you see a lot of re-offences taking place,” he said.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
