Three Lesotho nationals charged with murder after mass shooting in South Africa

Three Lesotho nationals were charged with murder and attempted murder when they appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court in South Africa on Thursday.

They are some of the people believed to be behind a mass shooting at an informal settlement in the east of the city earlier this month, in which 13 people died and 14 others were injured.

According the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the suspects, aged between 26 and 34, were arrested after being pointed out to police by some of the survivors.

The motive for the attack has been linked to turf wars between illegal miners operating on abandoned or disused mine shafts in the area.

Police said about 10 attackers were dropped off at both entrances of the settlement late at night and opened fire as they moved through, before being picked up afterwards by a vehicle.

The NPA said it remained committed to ensuring that all those responsible for the attack were brought to justice.

The case has been postponed to 2 July for address verification and to facilitate the scheduling of a bail hearing. All three accused remain in custody.

Thousands of unregistered miners known as "zama zamas" operate in South Africa, scavenging abandoned mines for gold and other minerals in often perilous conditions.

They come from across the region, driven by poverty and unemployment, and the sector has been linked to organised crime, assassinations, extortion and other illegal activities.