By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended his condolences to the victims of the mass shooting in Ngobozana village in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape on Friday.
The shootings, which took place in two separate houses on the same street, fueled outrage over a recent spate of mass shootings in the country.
The motive for the killings remains unknown and police said on Monday that the investigation is continuing and no arrests have been made.
Police has since released the names of the victims.
The women victims are: Nonkanyiso Dukuza, 19, Ruth King, 21, Mandisa Dlokweni, 59, Samantha Sinqina, 26, Lungiswa Gawulekana, 51, Thandeka Mhlaluvele, 46, Mary Sinqina, 63, Nombuliso Dukuza, 32, Mathembisile Mayekiso/Sinqina, 64, Nobelungu France, 59, Themi Vimba, 41, Nomazwi Ndleleni, 59, Nancy Sinqina, 59, Dimpho Sinqina, 30, Thali King Sinqina, 26.
The three male victims were: Thobile Sinqina, 37, Smomoza Sinqina, 14, and 59-year-old Sigobodo Gxobela.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said the motive for the shooting is still unclear at this stage.
Mawisa said, the case was being investigated by seasoned detectives who have knowledge and experience in forensic investigation.
South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with about 20,000 murders recorded every year out of a population of over 60 million.
Ramaphosa said, the SAPS had “mobilised maximum resources to ensure the perpetrators are brought to book”.
“I feel deeply for all the families and members of the broader community affected by this attack, and on behalf of all of us as South Africans, I offer you our deepest sympathies.
“While we are united in our grief, we are also united in our outrage and condemnation of this excessive criminal assault which will not go unpunished.”
The shootings follow a mass killing in KwaZulu-Natal province in April 2023. Ten members of the same family, including seven women and a 13-year-old boy, were killed at their home.