A person reacts at the site of a shooting in Lwandle in the Western Cape, South Africa, September 27, 2026. REUTERS

Gang violence and organised crime remain rife in South Africa, ⁠despite government efforts to curb one of the highest per capita murder ​rates in the world, including by deploying the army in some areas.

In Wedela township, about ​80 km (50 miles) from Johannesburg, 17 people were killed and 15 injured at a tavern, the South African Police Service said in a statement posted on X.

"Suspects were reportedly armed with ​AK-47 rifles and pistols," the statement said of the shooting, which occurred around ​9:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) on Saturday.

The motive was unclear and no arrests had been made, the statement ‌said.

In ⁠a separate attack in the township of Lwandle on the outskirts of Cape Town, gunmen opened fire in a venue selling grilled meat around 1:46 a.m. on Sunday, police said.

Five people died at the scene and another five died of injuries after being ​transported to medical ​facilities, while 11 ⁠others were receiving medical treatment, police said.

"Detectives are hard at work in search of the perpetrators of the shooting incident ​with no arrests effected yet," the statement said.

Crime is expected to ​be ⁠a major issue for voters in municipal elections in November, when the African National Congress is facing further erosion of voter support.

A shooting at a house party near Durban last ⁠week killed ​11 people, while a series of women's bodies found ​near Johannesburg since July has renewed fear and anger over high rates of femicide.