CAPE TOWN, Jan 17, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Gunmen killed seven people in a township outside the South African city of Cape Town early on Saturday in an incident believed to be extortion-related, police said. The attack is the latest in a string of mass shootings that have shaken the crime-weary country of 63 million people. South Africa, the continent's most industrialised nation, is grappling with entrenched crime and corruption driven by organised networks. Two separate mass shootings in December, in which gunmen stormed a hostel and a bar, left two dozen people dead, including several children. Saturday's attack occurred in the city's Cape Flats area, which has a reputation for gang violence and where over 2,000 murders were recorded in the first nine months of 2025.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha January 17, 2026 08:57 UTC