Three shooters killed at least 11 people, including a woman believed to be pregnant, in a house‑party shooting in KwaMakhutha township, about 30 kilometres south of Durban, police said on Wednesday.
The party attendees were shot when the suspects entered the house. Ten people died at the scene, including the pregnant woman, and an 11th was declared dead at a hospital. Three others were wounded, but authorities have not released their condition.
Police have not yet identified the attackers and are searching for them. The motive remains unknown, though police said some guests were under investigation for criminal activity and that a feud between rival groups could not be ruled out.
Thami Ntuli, the premier of KwaZulu‑Natal, called the killings “really disturbing” and noted ongoing problems with drug dealing and illegal firearms in the community.
The incident follows a string of mass shootings in South Africa, including a June attack that killed 12 in Johannesburg and two December shootings that killed 21. Official statistics show 5,427 homicides between April and June, averaging nearly 60 per day, with shootings the most common form of homicide.
Investigators found victims’ bodies laid on the ground and covered with white sheets outside the house, and police cordoned the neighbourhood with yellow tape. They are also probing whether a torching of a car near the house is connected to the shooting.
