Resurgent Violence Kills 12 S. Africans
Assailants burst into a house in a black township and opened fire, killing 12 people, in a shocking return of political violence that had virtually disappeared during last month’s election.
The killings occurred Friday night in the violence-racked township of Thokoza.
The victims ranged in age from 13 to 25 and were staying in an abandoned house, police Capt. Janine Smith said. Ten bodies were found inside the house and two were outside amid spent cartridges from AK-47 assault rifles. The identities or political affiliations of the victims were not immediately known.
But the house where the attack occurred is near a workers’ hostel dominated by Zulu supporters of the Inkatha Freedom Party. Most area residents support the African National Congress.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
