Gunmen kill 11 in South African township

Soldiers of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) patrol alongside armored vehicles during an operation in Johannesburg, South Africa on March 11, 2026. [AFP]

Gunmen stormed a homestead in a township in South Africa's eastern port city of Durban, killing 11 people, the head of the provincial government and police said on Wednesday.

South Africa is awash with legal and illegal firearms, and shootings are common, often fuelled by gang rivalry and competition between informal businesses.

"The victims, including a pregnant woman, were gathered at a house shortly before 11:00 pm (2100 GMT Tuesday) when armed assailants reportedly entered the premises and opened fire," Thamsanqa Ntuli, the premier of KwaZulu-Natal province, of which Durban is the main city, told AFP.

Three other people survived the attack in the township of KwaMakhutha south of Durban, police said.

The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear, police said, adding that investigators were following a "promising" lead that could assist in the case.

"The incident has left the community in profound shock and grief," Ntuli said.

Local television station eNCA reported that the attackers forced everyone into a room before shooting them and also set fire to a car belonging to one of the victims.

"It's shocking and sad. These are guys I grew up with. I can't believe it. It's like a movie," the broadcaster cited a local resident as saying.

"I've been staying here all my life, and I've never seen anything like this," he added.

Acting police chief Puleng Dimpane said she had activated a 72-hour tracking operation to pursue and apprehend those responsible.

"There is no place in our communities for the senseless taking of human lives. Police must act decisively, mobilise all available resources and pursue those responsible until they are brought before the courts," she said in a statement.

South Africa has one of the world's highest murder rates, with about 60 people killed each day in a country of around 62 million.

In March, soldiers were deployed to violence hotspots across the country to support police efforts to tackle rampant crime, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has described as one of the biggest threats facing South Africa.