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

By Thomson Reuters Sep 23, 2026 | 12:46 AM

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 23 (Reuters) – 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, 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.

(Reporting by Nilutpal Timsina; Editing by Alexander Winning and ​Xevi Fontdegloria)