In brief
In a rural village near Lusikisiki, South Africa mourns a mass shooting where 18 family members were killed. With the arrest of 45-year-old Siphosoxolo Myekethe, charged with the murders, attention turns to the country's troubling surge in gun violence.
Weeks have passed since the grim mass shooting that claimed 18 relatives in South Africa, paralyzing the local rural community. On Wednesday, prosecutors charged Siphosoxolo Myekethe, 45, with the murders, years after mass shootings became more frequent in South Africa. Known for its high violent crime rates, the nation's taverns and family gatherings have increasingly become sites of execution-style shootings.Myekethe was apprehended at his home, a mere eight miles from where the tragedy struck, and appeared in Eastern Cape Province court, charged with 18 murders. Represented by a legal aid attorney, he has not yet pleaded. The prosecutors noted his previous convictions, revealing that Myekethe was on parole when arrested. His bail hearing is set for next Tuesday, with prosecutors opposing bail.Authorities captured Myekethe after the incident triggered a manhunt. The motive behind the brutal killing spree remains unclear, as does Myekethe's connection to the victims, should one exist. Police continue to explore links between him and the attack amid an increasing number of such incidents across South Africa.During the predawn hours of Sept. 28, at least one gunman attacked two village homesteads near Lusikisiki, targeting family members preparing for a traditional ceremony. Thirteen people perished at the first location, mainly women, with a 14th succumbing to injuries in the hospital. A 14-year-old boy was among the dead at the second homestead, which saw the entire household wiped out. Six survived, including a 2-month-old.Myekethe's charges extend to the illegal possession of an unlicensed AK-47, according to prosecutors. With government crime stats indicating rising murder rates in four of the nine provinces—largely due to firearm use—South African authorities prioritize the issue. In the last four months, police confiscated over 430 illegal firearms, emphasizing the threat.Lynsey Chutel, a Times journalist in London, reports on pivotal developments in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
