At least four people have been killed and three others injured after a gunman opened fire on mourners leaving a memorial service for a local politician in Katlehong township, southeast of Johannesburg, police said Wednesday.
The shooting occurred late Tuesday, with at least one of the injured victims reported to be a child. Police said the suspect was in custody after turning himself in.
Authorities initially reported that two men had died at the scene. The death toll later rose to four after two more victims died in hospital on Wednesday.
The South African Police Service said a political killings task team was investigating the incident.
Local media reported that some of the victims were members of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League. The memorial service was reportedly held for a woman who served as a local ANC leader and was killed earlier this month in a shooting suspected to have been politically motivated.
Police have not yet confirmed the identities of the victims, saying only that they had attended a memorial service for a member of a political party.
South Africa continues to grapple with high levels of gun violence, including killings linked to local political rivalries.
A report published earlier this month by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime identified 43 killings in South Africa this year suspected of being politically motivated.
The latest shooting comes ahead of South Africa’s local government elections scheduled for November 4, when voters will elect municipal councils across the country.
