8 Killed in Umlazi Informal Settlement in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africans Horrified

• The South African Police Service is investigating a case of murder after a mass shooting in KwaZulu-Natal
• Eight people were killed in Umlazi in the south of Durban when unknown assailants opened fire in a shack in an informal settlement
• The victims included six men and two women, and South Africans were shaken by the violent nature of the shooting

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered criminal activities, cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, taxi violence, police investigations, police shootouts and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

UMLAZI, DURBAN — South Africans were shaken after eight people were shot and killed in a mass shooting on 17 May 2025.

8 killed in deadly Umlazi shooting

According to SABC News, the victims were inside a shack in an informal settlement when an unknown number of assailants entered. Without warning, they opened fire and killed everyone in the shack before fleeing. Six men and two women between the ages of 22 and 40 were murdered. The South African Police Service found them lying in a pool of blood.

The police have launched a manhunt for those involved in the shooting, as the motive for the shooting remains unknown. The police are calling on members of the public to assist with information which can assist in the investigation.

Recent mass shootings in South Africa

• Five people were gunned down and two were injured in a mass shooting in Bityi, Eastern Cape, in October 2024
• Five more people were killed in Gqeberha, a few days after the Bityi mass shooting incident
• The police launched a manhunt for five men who were wanted for a mass shooting which killed four people in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal
• Eight people were shot and killed outside of a tavern in Pienaar, Mpumalanga, in January 2025
• Three people were killed in a home in Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape in May as they were preparing for a funeral

South Africans devastated

The incident shook netizens on Facebook.

Oma M Isse said:

"With over 2.5 million private security personnel in South Africa, significantly outnumbering the police, and the potential for weapons falling into irresponsible hands, how do we ensure effective firearm control and public safety, especially when there's roughly one officer for every 57 private security personnel?"

Paul Anthony Du Preez said:

"Our country is out of control."

Gerald Sibene said:

"So sad. People are so cruel, killing people like flies."

Ciise Daahir Cabdulle Xikam said:

"South Africa appears to be a failed state, having failed to maintain security within the country. New and alarming incidents are occurring regularly, causing fear and anxiety among the population."

KZN police arrest 6 for Estcourt shooting

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the police arrested six people in October 2025 for the mass shooting in Estcourt. The shooting happened at a traditional ceremony.

Five people were killed in the mass shooting. A day after the shooting happened, the police found the men hiding inside a room in the Eastern Cape.

Source: Briefly News