Durban - While reeling from shooting incidents in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, the country has experienced yet another mass shooting, this time in the Free State.
The shooting is understood to have happened on Friday morning.
The shocking incident happened in the small and frigid town of Kestel, near Harrismith around 9am.
The motive of the shooting is not yet known.
The spokesperson of the police in the Free State, Brigadier Motantsi Makhele, confirmed to IOL that the incident happened, but he was not in a position to give more detail about the incident.
However, a source told IOL that among the seven dead were a child and a woman believed to be in her 50s.
Those killed are believed to be workers of one of the nearby farms and the shooting happened while they were enjoying tea.
This incident follows another mass shooting in Alexandra, where at least six people were shot dead on Thursday night, including Alex FM’s music manager Joshua Mbatha.
Those killed are understood to have been robbed and the motive of the killings, police in Gauteng said, was intent to commit robbery.
Added, at the weekend, there were several reported tavern shootings in Soweto, Mamelodi and in Pietermaritzburg, where armed men gunned down patrons.
The motive for those shootings is not yet known.
*** This is a developing story.
PHOTOS: Shocked lANC politicians, Connie Msibi and Mandlenkosi Dlamini at the scene in Kestel, Free State where 7 people were shot dead today. The motive for the killing is not yet know. Brigadier Motantsi Makhele from the SAPS in the province confirmed the incident. @IOL pic.twitter.com/bMx3Jpq9Ei
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 15, 2022
WATCH: The police in the Free State province have just confirmed the shooting incident in the small town of Kestel (somewhere near Harrismith) where 7 people (including children) were killed. Right now forensic experts and local politicians are on the scene. @IOL pic.twitter.com/cQ25EdAq8f
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) July 15, 2022
WATCH: Apparently a number of people were butchered this morning in the small Free State town of Kestel. 💔💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/8UuAo8Qnmq