Cyril Ramaphosa says "the most immediate threat to our democracy" is organized crime

Five shootings in less than a week left at least 46 people dead in South Africa, prompting renewed attention to gun violence and organized crime. The attacks came as official data showed the country’s overall murder rate declining, even as researchers tracking mass killings reported dozens of such incidents this year. Experts cite organized crime and easy access to illegal firearms as key factors. In February, President Cyril Ramaphosa described organized crime as an urgent danger to the country and announced that soldiers would support police operations against gang violence. The recent shootings, including a tavern attack west of Johannesburg and others in the Cape Town area and south of Durban, are not reported as linked; investigators are examining possible vendettas, retaliatory motives, or a commercial disagreement. The violence has left some communities anxious and threatens recent progress in reducing murders.