According to South African police, six security guards on patrol were shot dead on Monday, not far from the site where 18 people lost their lives just over a week earlier.
“Six people were fatally shot, and four were injured at the Lugongozo Junior Secondary School in Tina Falls near Qumbu last night,” police said in a statement.
“A group of at least eight men, who were armed with rifles and handguns, opened fire,” the statement said, adding that the suspects were “still at large”.
Fannie Masemola, the National Police Commissioner, while visiting the area, confirmed the incident, adding that six other guards survived the attack.
He said six suspects had been identified adding that “Three of them we can confirm are local people.”
“We got the motive that it is stock-theft related, but also there is some conflict within various villages, but the whole motive will be unfolded later,” Masemola said.
Tina Falls, located in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, lies in a region notorious for cattle raiding.
It’s about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Ngobozana, a village in Lusikisiki, where a mass shooting that sent shockwaves across the nation occurred on September 28.
Three suspects have been taken in for questioning, but the motive behind the horrific incident remains unclear. Many of the victims were family members, predominantly women, who lost their lives at a rural homestead.
There is a growing outcry in South Africa for increased police protection in a country that has one of the highest murder rates per capita in the world.
The government described the incident as “totally unacceptable” and that “law enforcement agencies will ensure that the perpetrators are bought to book”.
“Teams of detectives and forensic experts are on the ground, and investigations are underway,” it said in a statement.