Unknown gunmen have stormed a homestead in the South African city of Pietermaritzburg and ambushed a family, killing 10 people, police said.

Police did not give a motive for the shooting. Those killed included seven women and three men, the police ministry said in a statement.

South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, with about 20,000 murders recorded every year out of a population of 60 million.

From July 1 to September 30, 2022, more than 7,000 people were murdered in crimes reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Almost 1,000 women were among those murdered during the period in 2022. More than 13,000 women were also victims of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and 1,277 women were victims of attempted murder.

Gunmen killed eight people and wounded three others at a birthday party in the city of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape in January, following a spate of mass gun attacks last year.

Police Minister Bheki Cele and the top management of the South African Police Service are due to visit the crime scene of the latest shooting later on Friday.