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Today in Africa — September 28, 2026: South Africa's Mass Shootings Kill 28 in One Weekend, DR Congo's Ebola Cases Top 8,000

OkayAfrica has scoured the Internet for today’s major news stories, so you don't have to. On Sept. 28, coverage includes: gunmen storm a tavern near Johannesburg and a party in Cape Town, and police find an 11th woman's body in Ekurhuleni; the DR Congo runs short of health workers as unpaid wages trigger strikes and 50 health workers have died; and more.

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Lihle Z. Mtshali Today in Africa & Newsletters Editor
Uniformed officials and forensic personnel gather beside a white vehicle outside a Johannesburg bar.
Members of South Africa's Forensic Pathology Service and South African National Defense Force inspect and secure the scene where gunmen armed with assault rifles stormed a bar in Johannesburg on Saturday night.

Every day, OkayAfrica shares a roundup of news we’re following but haven’t published as full articles. These short updates cover what’s happening across the continent — in culture, politics, and beyond. For more stories like these, check out our News page for updates from across the regions.

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South Africa's Mass Shootings Leave 28 Dead in One Weekend as 2026 Toll Hits 196

Gunmen killed at least 28 people in two mass shootings in South Africa over the weekend. On Saturday night, eight men armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols stormed a tavern in Carletonville, near Johannesburg, and killed 18 people while wounding 15 others. Police say the attackers stole phones from some victims and fled in two vehicles, and they are hunting all eight suspects. Deputy provincial commissioner Major General Fred Kekana says the attack may have been retaliation for an August incident, since one of the dead was someone police had been looking for in connection with it. Around 1,300 kilometers away, shortly before 2 a.m. on Sunday, armed men opened fire on party-goers in Lwandle, a township in Cape Town, killing 10 people and wounding 11. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) says at least 196 people have been killed in 41 mass shootings since January, and that this is probably an undercount. The Carletonville shooting is now the deadliest mass killing of 2026. It surpasses the June 9 Cleveland, Johannesburg, massacre, which killed 13 people.

Why the Violence Keeps Happening

  • The weekend attacks came days after gunmen killed 12 people, including a pregnant woman, at a house in KwaMakhutha, Durban.

  • Police in South Africa define a mass shooting as one where three or more people are shot in a single attack. GI-TOC analyst Julian Rademeyer says the spike is largely driven by criminal groups fighting for control of markets and territory.

  • Rademeyer suspects the Carletonville attack is tied to illegal mining or extortion. In August, police killed an alleged illegal mining kingpin in the area who was linked to a conflict between rival groups.

  • Rademeyer says police stations have been infiltrated by corrupt officers on the payroll of illegal mining or gang networks, and that mass arrests hit low-level workers while ringleaders go untouched. He also cites limited resources and disarray in police crime intelligence.

  • South Africa's violence has many drivers, including gangs, illegal mining, extortion, and taxi violence. South Africa’s mass killings are usually carried out by multiple gunmen. 

  • Police say murders fell 5.9% nationwide between April and June, but organized crime and gang violence remain a problem. Poor townships with distant police stations and poor lighting are especially vulnerable, and bystanders, including children, are often killed.

  • Separately, police said today, Monday, September 28, that another woman's body was found in Springs, in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, bringing the number of female victims found in the area to 11. A 36-year-old suspect arrested in Limpopo province over the earlier Tembisa killing is due in court tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29.

DR Congo's Ebola Cases Top 8,000 as the Country Runs Out of Health Workers

The Democratic Republic of Congo has now confirmed 8,067 Ebola cases and 3,901 deaths across 63 health zones in seven provinces, according to health ministry data released yesterday, Sunday, September 27, a fatality rate of more than 48%. The World Health Organization says the persistently high death rate, especially deaths happening in communities, points to problems with catching cases early and getting patients timely care. Health workers are in short supply, with unpaid or delayed wages triggering several strikes, and the Africa Center for Disease Control says 50 health workers have died since the outbreak was announced on May 15.

The Ripple Effects

  • The United Nations  Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says routine primary healthcare in Ituri province fell 13% between April and June, as staffing pressures cut services and fear of infection keeps people from seeking care.

  • Ituri and Haut-Uele are showing signs of improvement, with fewer confirmed cases in recent weeks, but the disease is spreading to new areas.

  • Africa CDC data shows the current outbreak has spread faster than West Africa's 2014-2016 epidemic: 7,840 cases by week 19, compared with 3,781 for the earlier outbreak at the same point.

  • WHO says the outbreak is on track to surpass the West African epidemic, which killed 11,000 people.

  • Insecurity, displacement, health worker strikes, and heavy population movement continue to hamper containment efforts.

Injured Tigst Assefa Wins Berlin Marathon With Third-Fastest Women's Time in History

Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa hobbled across the finish line to win the Berlin Marathon yesterday, Sunday, September 27, in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 4 seconds, the third-fastest women's marathon ever, after appearing set to smash the world record before fading late. The 29-year-old Paris Olympics silver medalist led by a minute at 15 kilometers and was ahead of record pace at 35 kilometers before visible discomfort slowed her. She still broke the Berlin course record of 2:11:53, which she set in 2023, and race director Mark Milde said, "She was on a world record course for most of the race, but then something happened to her tendon."

A Near-Record Run

  • Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich still holds the official world record of 2:09:56, set at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, though it is overshadowed by the three-year doping ban she received in 2025.

  • Assefa, the 2026 London Marathon winner, improved on her 2:15:41 from that race.

  • Ethiopians swept the top five in the women's race, with Bedatu Hirpa second and Dera Dida third.

  • Ethiopia's Guye Adola won the men's race in 2:02:50.

In Brief: More Stories Today

Ethiopian Forces Claim Capture of Strategic Town South of Tigray's Capital

Ethiopia's military and allied militiamen have captured the town of Alamata, a pro-government militia said today, Monday, September 28, turning the tables after last week's opposition offensive out of Tigray. Two diplomatic sources said the town had fallen, while a third said pro-government forces had entered, but it was unclear if they fully controlled it; Reuters could not verify a video posted by the Tigrai Peace Force. Alamata is a key supply hub for troops, food, and fuel, about 75 miles south of Tigray's capital, Mekelle, and its capture would boost federal forces as they push north.

Air Algérie Crash Verdict Brings Relief to Families

A Paris court found Spanish airline Swiftair guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the 2014 Air Algérie crash in Mali that killed all 116 people on board, fining it the maximum €225,000 ($256,000). The court says "negligence" in Swiftair's training "certainly contributed" to the crash, and one of the victims' relatives, Sandrine Tricot, says it was a relief after "4,449 days of waiting." Swiftair has 10 days to appeal.

Refugees in South Africa Fear New Attacks as September 30 Deadline Nears

Refugees in South Africa’s third most populous city, Durban, say they have nowhere safe to go after the government cleared a makeshift camp outside the Durban Refugee Reception Center, where hundreds slept on the pavement for about four months. On September 15, 274 people were bused to the Lindela immigration detention facility in Gauteng, while about 150 stayed behind to find housing, and many fear the anti-immigration group March and March's September 30 deadline, which has no legal authority. Police say they won't change their approach, while Bishop Raphael Bahebwa, a DR Congo refugee who has lived in South Africa for 26 years, says he's in hiding after threats.

Mothers in Morocco Demand Release of Gen Z Protesters

Dozens of mothers gathered outside Morocco's parliament in Rabat on Saturday to demand freedom for their sons, detained during the "Gen Z 212" protests a year ago. Hundreds remain in detention on charges including armed rebellion and organizing unauthorized demonstrations, and authorities have been accused of gross abuses against the detainees.

Rwanda Genocide Suspect Must Pay £100,000 to Be Released From UK Custody

Dr. Vincent Brown, 65, formerly Vincent Bajinya, will remain in custody unless he pays a £100,000 ($136,000) guarantee, a UK judge ruled today, Monday, September 28, up from the earlier £25,000 ($34,000). If released, he must also wear an electronic monitor, surrender his passport, follow a curfew, and report to police daily. Brown, the first person charged in the UK over the 1994 genocide, denies wrongdoing and is due back at the Old Bailey on October 9.

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