12 killed in mass shooting near Johannesburg informal settlement

JOHANNESBURG: At least 12 people were killed after gunmen stormed an informal settlement near Johannesburg overnight, South African police said on Wednesday, in the latest mass shooting to hit the crime-plagued country.

According to police, the attack occurred shortly before midnight on Tuesday in the Jumpers informal settlement, an impoverished community of metal shacks located near an abandoned gold mine east of Johannesburg, where illegal miners are known to operate.

Authorities said around 10 armed suspects arrived in a vehicle and entered the settlement through different access points before opening fire on residents at multiple locations.

“The suspects allegedly entered the informal settlement through both entrances and moved through the area, opening fire on residents and community members at multiple locations before fleeing the scene in the same vehicle,” police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said.

Preliminary investigations found that 12 people lost their lives in the attack. Eight men and three women were pronounced dead at the scene, while another victim later died in hospital.

The settlement is located approximately six kilometres east of central Johannesburg and close to an area associated with both legal and illegal mining activity.

Police said the motive behind the attack remains under investigation and no arrests have yet been made. However, investigators suspect the violence may be connected to disputes linked to illegal mining operations in the area.

“At this stage, we could not determine what is the motive,” said Gauteng Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni while speaking to reporters at the scene.

“As you know, this area is adjacent to the legal mining area. We are having those suspicions,” he added.

Describing the killings as shocking, Mthombeni called the attack “insane”, “heartless” and “barbaric”.

Illegal mining has become a major security challenge in South Africa, attracting people from across the region and often fuelling organised crime, extortion, violence and territorial disputes.

The illegal miners, commonly known as “zama zamas” — a Zulu term meaning “those who try” — operate in abandoned gold mines around Johannesburg and its surrounding townships. Driven by poverty and unemployment, many descend into disused mine shafts in search of remaining gold deposits.

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The latest shooting follows a series of violent incidents linked to illegal mining networks. In December, nine people were killed when gunmen opened fire at a bar in the mining township of Bekkersdal, southwest of Johannesburg, in an attack believed to be connected to rivalry between illegal mining groups.

In response to rising violence, President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed soldiers to crime hotspots in Johannesburg in March to support police efforts against organised crime and escalating violence, which he described as one of the country’s most serious threats.

Investigations into the latest mass shooting are continuing.