President Cyril Ramaphosa expresses his condolences at the deaths by shooting of 15 people and murder of 4 people at two taverns

President Cyril Ramaphosa has conveyed his sympathies following the gunshot murders of 15 people in a Soweto bar and the murder of four persons in Pietermaritzburg under similar circumstances.

President Ramaphosa expresses his condolences to the families of those who passed away in the two incidents and sends his best wishes for a quick recovery to those who were injured.

Additionally, the President implores community members and security organisations to cooperate promptly in order to apprehend those responsible for the two incidents.

The President said: “As a nation, we cannot allow violent criminals to terrorise us in this way, regardless of where such incidents may occur.”

“As government, citizens and structures of civil society we must all work together even more closely to improve social and economic conditions in communities, reduce violent crime and stamp out the illicit circulation of firearms.”

“Every single violent death is unacceptable and worrying, and killings on the scale we have seen in Soweto, Pietermaritzburg and previously Khayelitsha must spur us into a collective effort to build communities and make South Africa an unsafe place for criminals.”Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency: Republic of South Africa.