‘Put down the guns’ - Lesotho association pleads for peace after 18 killed in Carletonville

The Migrant Workers Association of Lesotho (MWA-L) has urgently called for peace following a deadly shooting that claimed 18 lives in Carletonville. The violent incident occurred on September 26 at a tavern in Wedela, Extension 3, leaving 15 others wounded. The attack, which involved armed men targeting both patrons inside and outside the establishment, has shocked the nation and devastated local communities.

MWA-L emphasized that the violence among Basotho nationals working in South Africa is causing irreparable harm to families and leaving communities in mourning. They urged those involved in rival groups to abandon violence and resolve their differences peacefully, warning that disputes over abandoned mine shafts, gold, and group loyalties were causing unnecessary loss of life.

Police have launched a manhunt for eight unidentified armed men, who allegedly used AK-47 rifles and pistols during the shooting. The suspects were also reported to have stolen mobile phones from some victims and set two vehicles on fire during the incident. MWA-L traced the attack to turf wars involving zama zamas and Famo music gangs, urging leaders of these groups to use their influence to prevent further bloodshed.

They questioned why Basotho nationals who left Lesotho to work and support their families were turning against each other. The organization emphasized the importance of leaders applying their influence to end the violence, stating that history would judge them based on the lives they saved, not the shafts they controlled. They called on the Lesotho government to treat the killings as a national crisis, as the consequences extend beyond South Africa's borders, with 121 Basotho nationals already arrested in Carletonville.

The association urged families in Lesotho to remain hopeful, as they struggle with uncertainty about the whereabouts of their relatives.