South Africa Pakistani shooting
Four Pakistani nationals, including two brothers from Mandi Bahauddin, were killed in a South Africa Pakistani shooting at a Kempton Park traffic light. Here’s what we know.
Four Pakistani nationals were shot dead in a South Africa Pakistani shooting in Chloorkop, Kempton Park, on Saturday evening, after unidentified gunmen ambushed their vehicle while they were returning home from their businesses. All four men died at the scene.
How the attack happened
According to Gauteng police, the victims were travelling in a Honda Ballade and had stopped at a traffic light near the intersection of Zuurfontein and Orangerivier roads. A white sedan pulled up alongside them, and the men inside got out and opened fire on the vehicle before fleeing the scene. Photographs from the scene show the car’s windows riddled with bullet holes on both the driver and passenger sides. None of the four occupants survived.
Who the victims were:
The victims have been reported as brothers Sajid Ahmad and Zafar Ahmad, who belonged to Bullar village in Mandi Bahauddin district, Punjab. The other two men killed were reportedly their workers. In total, three of the four victims belonged to Mandi Bahauddin district, while the fourth was a resident of Sialkot. The men ran spaza shops in the area and were on their way home after closing their businesses for the day.
Police investigation:
South African police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the shooting. No arrests have been made so far and no suspects have been identified. Authorities have not established a motive, though the manner of the attack has led to it being described in several reports as a suspected targeted shooting rather than a robbery, since nothing appears to have been taken from the victims.
Reaction in Pakistan:
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed sorrow over the killing of the four Pakistani citizens. The news has caused grief in Bullar village in Mandi Bahauddin, where the two brothers’ family is now awaiting the repatriation of the bodies. Pakistani nationals form a sizeable shopkeeping community across Gauteng, and attacks on foreign-owned spaza shops have been a recurring safety concern in the province.
What happens next
The investigation remains open and police have appealed for information from anyone who witnessed the shooting or saw the white sedan in the area. This report will be updated as further details emerge.