Three men were killed in a targeted daylight attack inside a McDonald’s restaurant in the Johannesburg central business district on Monday morning, in a shooting that has intensified alarm over escalating turf violence in South Africa’s commercial capital.
Police said the victims, aged between 30 and 45, were having breakfast when two masked suspects entered the restaurant at the corner of Jeppe and Small streets and opened fire. All three men were declared dead at the scene. The victims are believed to be foreign national shop owners, possibly Somali, although this has not been officially confirmed.
Gauteng Police spokesperson Noxolo Kweza confirmed that no arrests had been made and that the motive for the attack remained unclear. The South African Police Service (SAPS) opened a triple murder investigation and launched a search for the gunmen. Kweza added that the motive would form part of the ongoing investigation.
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Tommy Mthombeni condemned the killings, stating that no stone would be left unturned in the investigation. The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) sealed off the area as emergency services responded to the scene.
An eyewitness, a street vendor near the scene, said the incident had heightened fear among local businesses and customers. He added that tensions among some foreign business owners in the area had been building for over a month, with seven people reportedly shot in a series of related incidents in that period.
Authorities suspect ongoing turf wars are behind the killings, which they say have become a near-weekly occurrence in the area. Ward 59 councillor Sthembiso Hlatshwayo said he had approached the Premier’s office to request an intervention. “Things are worse as we speak, and they are going to be worse still. They are killing each other. Each and every week, they kill two. It is a reality,” he said.
Police have urged anyone with information to contact their nearest police station or call the Crime Stop line at 08600 10111.
