JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — The combined death toll from the mass shootings in Wedela and Lwandle has risen to 28 after another victim of the Wedela tavern attack died in hospital. Police said on Monday, September 28, that the Wedela toll was now 18, while the separate Lwandle attack remained at 10 deaths.
What is the latest South Africa shooting death toll?
South African police say another victim of the Wedela tavern shooting has died in hospital, raising that attack’s toll to 18 and the combined Wedela–Lwandle toll to 28. No arrests have been announced, and investigators have not established that the attacks are connected.
What changed in the Wedela death toll
SABC News reported that one more wounded victim died in hospital, taking the number killed in the Wedela attack from 17 to 18. The police case count was consequently updated to 18 murder counts.
Police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said five injured people had been shot in the upper body and remained in critical condition. The other survivors were described as stable. Because patients remain in hospital, the casualty record may change again and should be checked against police updates rather than social-media lists.
The Associated Press update places the combined toll from the two attacks at 28: 18 in Wedela, southwest of Johannesburg, and 10 in Lwandle, near Cape Town. The shootings occurred several hours apart in different provinces.
What police say happened in Wedela
Eight gunmen armed with rifles and pistols attacked a tavern in Wedela at about 9:30 PM SAST on Saturday, September 26, according to the police account. They opened fire on people outside before entering the tavern and continuing to shoot.
Police said some patrons were searched and their mobile phones taken. The attackers then fled in two vehicles, while two other vehicles were burned near the tavern. Those facts form part of the investigation; they do not establish a final motive.
JUSTICE & CRIME
South Africa Shooting Toll Rises to 28 as Manhunt Continues
Sep 29, 2026
Sep 29, 2026
5 min read
Published
Updated:
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — The combined death toll from the mass shootings in Wedela and Lwandle has risen to 28 after another victim of the Wedela tavern attack died in hospital. Police said on Monday, September 28, that the Wedela toll was now 18, while the separate Lwandle attack remained at 10 deaths.
What is the latest South Africa shooting death toll?
South African police say another victim of the Wedela tavern shooting has died in hospital, raising that attack’s toll to 18 and the combined Wedela–Lwandle toll to 28. No arrests have been announced, and investigators have not established that the attacks are connected.
What changed in the Wedela death toll
SABC News reported that one more wounded victim died in hospital, taking the number killed in the Wedela attack from 17 to 18. The police case count was consequently updated to 18 murder counts.
Police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said five injured people had been shot in the upper body and remained in critical condition. The other survivors were described as stable. Because patients remain in hospital, the casualty record may change again and should be checked against police updates rather than social-media lists.
The Associated Press update places the combined toll from the two attacks at 28: 18 in Wedela, southwest of Johannesburg, and 10 in Lwandle, near Cape Town. The shootings occurred several hours apart in different provinces.
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What police say happened in Wedela
Eight gunmen armed with rifles and pistols attacked a tavern in Wedela at about 9:30 PM SAST on Saturday, September 26, according to the police account. They opened fire on people outside before entering the tavern and continuing to shoot.
Police said some patrons were searched and their mobile phones taken. The attackers then fled in two vehicles, while two other vehicles were burned near the tavern. Those facts form part of the investigation; they do not establish a final motive.
A multidisciplinary team of murder and robbery detectives, crime-intelligence officers and crime-scene specialists is investigating. The Reuters report from Wedela said police were also working with the army as security operations intensified around communities affected by illegal mining and armed criminal groups.
Residents told Reuters they feared further violence. Police acknowledged that some communities near Johannesburg have been terrorised by armed illegal-mining groups, but investigators have not publicly confirmed that such a group carried out this particular attack.
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Lwandle investigation remains separate
At about 1:46 AM on Sunday, gunmen entered an entertainment venue in Lwandle and fired at patrons. Five people died at the scene and five others died after being taken for treatment. Eleven people were reported injured.
The South African government’s police statement says Western Cape police established a multidisciplinary team led by serious violent crime detectives. It also says deployments were increased in the area while the search for the gunmen continued.
No official evidence has connected the Lwandle attackers to the Wedela gunmen. Reporting the cases together reflects their timing and national impact, not a finding that the same people organised both shootings.
No arrests had been announced in either case by the latest verified updates. Police have examined possible motives, but no final motive has been confirmed publicly.
The Guardian’s account of the initial police statements noted illegal-mining turf conflict as one line of inquiry in Wedela and business rivalry as a possibility raised around Lwandle. Those remain investigative possibilities rather than established conclusions.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said security forces would intensify efforts against violent crime. The attacks followed the separate KwaMakhutha shooting, where 11 people were killed days earlier. Police have not said that the three cases are linked.
Why the update matters
The extra hospital death changes both the Wedela case record and the national total attached to the two weekend attacks. It also underlines the uncertainty that follows mass-casualty events when critically injured patients remain under treatment.
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South Africa is simultaneously dealing with public alarm over women’s deaths in Ekurhuleni. XTRAfrica’s earlier Ekurhuleni investigation update explains why police have cautioned against treating separate cases as one confirmed series before forensic links are established.
The shootings are also unfolding as migrants and refugees face fear before an unofficial September 30 deadline promoted by an anti-immigration movement. The XTRAfrica deadline explainer sets out why that private ultimatum has no legal authority. Nothing in the current shooting investigations supports blaming a nationality or community.
Anyone with information about the Lwandle attack has been asked to contact SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use the MySAPS app. Information should be given to investigators rather than circulated as unverified identifications online.
The immediate questions are whether police make arrests, identify the remaining victims, confirm a motive or issue another casualty update. Until then, the verified position is limited: 18 people have died in the Wedela attack, 10 in Lwandle, the investigations are separate, and the gunmen remain at large.
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