South African authorities have arrested two individuals in connection with one of the two shootings that occurred over the weekend.
A total of 19 people died after unknown assailants opened fire on Saturday night, apparently at random, on the patrons of two bars, one in Soweto, a suburb of Johannesburg (15 dead), the other in Pietermaritzburg, in Zulu country, in the east (4 dead).
In a statement announcing the two arrests without further details, the Ministry of Home Affairs said it was a “first step towards holding to account all those who organised the country’s deadliest weekend”.
AFP quotes a spokeswoman for the ministry, Lirandzu Themba, as saying that the police believe the two people arrested are “linked” to the Pietermaritzburg killing, which was reportedly carried out by two men.
The Soweto shooting was committed by “several gunmen” armed with AK-47 assault rifles, according to the preliminary investigation.
In a statement on Sunday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said shootings are common in South Africa adding that the violent deaths are “unacceptable and disturbing” and “we cannot allow violent criminals to terrorise us in this way”.
Meanwhile, there are still no answers as to the direct cause of the death of 21 teenagers who died in a bar in East London but questions are being asked about why children under the age of 18 were consuming alcohol in the tavern.
