Spate of Mass Killings Continue in South Africa

Two more mass shootings, occurring just one day apart, have rocked South Africa's Eastern Cape Province. Taking place less than a month after 18 family members were gunned down in Lusikisiki and 6 community stock theft patrollers were fatally shot in Godini Village, the latest shootings have brought further unease into the province..What You Need to KnowAt approximately 4:30pm on Friday, unidentified assailants fatally shot three men and wounded one woman in Willowvale CBD. According to police information, automatic rifles were used in the attack, although the motive remains unclear.Police spokesperson Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said the deceased were aged between 30 and 32 years old."Three males were fatally shot and a female was wounded during the shooting in the Willowvale CBD on Friday at about 4:30 p.m. According to the information, police heard gunshots on the main road and went to investigate. On their arrival, they found three men between 30 and 32 years old with gunshot wounds next to a Toyota Avanza. The 32-year-old woman who was also shot was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The motive for the killing is unknown at this stage, and an investigation is under way."Just four hours after the Willowvale shooting, in Bhityi's Ncenjana Village, five family members of the Seti family were shot dead by two unknown males. Two children also suffered bullet wounds, although they are recovering in the hospital.According to Siphokazi Mawisa, the family was sleeping in two separate houses on the family property when the attack occurred."They flounced out of the rondavel [traditional house] and started firing shots at the people who were sleeping in another house and fatally shot three and left two injured. The other two children who survived the attack managed to run away and inform the neighbors, who then alerted the police," said Mawisa.Bityi area's chief, Bovulengwe Mtirara, has claimed that turf wars and stock theft are fueling the shootings, with community mistrust at an all-time high."The challenge that we are facing, as I said yesterday, is stock theft. People are accusing each other of stock theft, and then they don't want to speak to or engage with one another; their decision is to kill each other," said Mtirara.Revenge is a key motivator for the killings, added Mtirara, claiming that after his grandmother was killed by another family for her alleged witchcraft, he himself sought revenge on the family responsible for her death."So, most of the things are happening because of revenge. Because their fathers, mothers, were killed by some family members, so they want revenge."Worryingly, according to the Chief, is that each year for the past five years, a member of the Seti family has been gunned down. Adding that the police have done nothing."Look here; Jola was gunned down last week. Up-to-date, we have had nothing from police. There was another woman who was buried last week who was also gunned down, we've heard nothing from police. There's also another woman who was gunned down who is going to be buried this week, there is nothing from police... We report to police, we report the suspect to police, but they never follow them," said Mtirara.The shootings follow that of the Lusikisiki massacre, in which 18 members of the Sinqina-Mhatu families were killed while gathering for a traditional mourning ceremony for two family members killed in August.