A mass murder can be defined as the killing of three or more people at one time and in one location.
This is a disaster that we used to associate with other countries or the TV shows we watch, but mass killings have been occurring in South Africa for decades.
For some reason, though, it seems that this trend is increasing.
A family of five was killed in a village in Mthatha last year.
Ian Cameron, the chairman of the Portfolio Committee on Police, said that there was a worrying increase in mass murders in South Africa, something that is unacceptable and against the common vision and an objection to the creation of a safe and secure country. He felt there must be a concentrated effort between the police and the community in order to stop this trend.
In December last year, nine people were gunned down and another eight injured at an informal settlement near Rustenburg.
In July last year, 14 people were killed in a mass shooting at a bar in Soweto. The attackers used high-calibre firearms, spraying the bullets randomly.
In April last year, 10 members of the same family were killed by gunmen in Pietermaritzburg. One of the victims was a 13-year-old boy. Arrests were made in this case, but the motive remains unknown.
In September this year, 18 people were murdered in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape, shot to death.
The police are still unsure as to what the motive behind these brutal killings could have been.
Six people have been arrested in connection with these murders; most of them have previous convictions.
In another case, in Durban last month, a family of seven was killed, execution style. Among them were three children. The family was at home, watching TV, when gunmen stormed in.
An article on News24 states that around 120 lives have been lost in the last three months due to mass murders; it seems this problem is out of control.
Mass murders have been associated with three main motives: gang conflicts, taxi violence, and inter-group feuds.
But killing an entire family, including the children? That is inhumanly cruel.
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