南非警方周日正在追捕两起独立枪击案的凶手，这两起案件在数小时内造成27人死亡，再次凸显了该国的枪支暴力问题。
South African police on Sunday were hunting the perpetrators of two separate shootings that killed 27 people within hours of each other, in stark reminders of the country’s problem with gun violence.
官员仍在确定约翰内斯堡和开普敦附近发生的枪击案的动机，但初步调查表明，一起可能是非法矿工之间的地盘争夺战，另一起则可能是商业竞争。
Officials were still establishing the motives for the shootings near Johannesburg and Cape Town, but initial investigations suggested one could be a turf war between illegal miners and the other a business rivalry.
尽管政府努力遏制全球最高的人均谋杀率之一，但暴力犯罪在南非依然猖獗。
Violent crime remains rife in South Africa, despite government efforts to curb one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world.
据警方称，在距离约翰内斯堡约80公里（50英里）的韦德拉镇，周六晚9点30分左右，持AK-47步枪的嫌疑人在一家酒馆开枪，造成17人死亡、15人受伤。
In Wedela township, about 80 km (50 miles) from Johannesburg, 17 people were killed and 15 injured at a tavern when suspects armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire at around 9:30pm on Saturday, according to police.
许多居民不愿谈论此事，但有一人表示，当地被称为“Zama zamas”（源自祖鲁语“碰运气”）的非法矿工居住在该地区，强大的帮派控制着非法黄金开采贸易。
Many residents were reluctant to speak about the incident, but one said that illegal miners, known locally as Zama zamas from an isiZulu expression for “taking a chance,” live in the area, where powerful gangs control the illicit gold mining trade.
该省警察专员汤米·姆通贝尼在现场告诉记者，调查方向之一是这起枪击案是“非法采矿方面的地盘争夺战”。他补充说，大约一个月前同一家酒馆发生过枪击案，周六的枪击可能是报复行动。
The province’s police commissioner, Tommy Mthombeni, told reporters on the scene that one line of inquiry was that the shooting was a “turf war in terms of illegal mining.” There was a shooting at the same tavern about a month ago and Saturday’s shooting could be retaliation for that, he added.
国防军士兵和警方法医已抵达该镇，现场可见两辆被烧毁的车辆。发生枪击的酒馆挂着一块牌子，在营业时间下方写着“禁止携带武器”。
Soldiers from the national army and police pathologists had arrived in the township, where two burnt vehicles could be seen. The tavern where the shooting happened had a sign that read “No weapons allowed” below its trading hours.
在开普敦郊区卢万德勒的枪击现场，围观者聚集在警戒线后，但不愿与记者交谈，称担心自身安全。
At the scene of the shooting in Lwandle, on the outskirts of Cape Town, onlookers had gathered behind police lines but did not want to speak to journalists, saying they feared for their safety.
在这起事件中，枪手于周日凌晨2点左右在一家售卖烤肉的场所开枪，造成10人死亡、11人受伤。
In that incident, gunmen opened fire in a venue selling grilled meat around 2.00am on Sunday, killing 10 people and injuring 11 more.
现场目击者拍摄的视频显示，人们在拥挤的室外区域跳舞唱歌，突然传来一阵枪声，随即响起尖叫声。
An eyewitness video from the venue shows people dancing and singing in a crowded outdoor area when a burst of shots rings out and screams are heard.
一名警方官员表示，“商业嫉妒可能是原因”，因为据报有人在较便宜的地方买酒后带到现场饮用。警方在声明中表示，目前尚无人被捕，侦探正在全力追捕枪手。
A police official there said “a business jealousy might have been the issue,” as there were reports that people had been buying alcohol in cheaper places and going to the venue to drink.
犯罪专家尤素夫·阿布拉姆吉表示：“南非存在严重的非法枪支问题，枪支经常被有组织犯罪集团以及帮派相关和其他暴力犯罪所使用。”
No arrests have been made yet and detectives are working to find the gunmen, police said in statements.
他表示：“因此，每一起枪击案都应引发的不仅仅是对直接实施者的调查。当局需要审视暴力背后的更广泛网络。”
“South Africa has a serious illegal firearms problem, and firearms are frequently used by organised criminal groups as well as in gang-related and other violent crimes,” said crime expert Yusuf Abramjee.
随着执政党非洲人国民大会面临选民支持率进一步流失，犯罪预计将成为11月市政选举中选民关注的主要议题。
“Every mass shooting should therefore trigger more than an investigation into the immediate perpetrators,” he said. “Authorities need to look at the wider networks behind the violence.” Crime is expected to be a major issue for voters in municipal elections in November, as the ruling African National Congress faces further erosion of voter support.
总统西里尔·拉马福萨今年早些时候表示，有组织犯罪已成为南非民主面临的最大威胁，并调派军队协助部分地区的警方工作。
President Cyril Ramaphosa said earlier this year that organised crime had become the biggest threat to South Africa’s democracy, and deployed the army to help police in some areas.
周二晚上，德班附近一场家庭聚会发生枪击案，造成11人死亡；而自7月以来，在约翰内斯堡附近发现的一系列女性尸体，再次引发了人们对高发谋杀女性案件的恐惧和愤怒。
A shooting at a house party near Durban on Tuesday night killed 11 people, while a series of women’s bodies found near Johannesburg since July has renewed fear and anger over high rates of femicide.