JOHANNESBURG – Four Pakistani traders were gunned down in bullets at traffic signal in South Africa’s Gauteng province, in an attack that has once again raised alarm over the safety of foreign nationals in the country.
The group of men from Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin were shot dead in brazen attack in South Africa’s Gauteng province, showing growing security concerns for foreign nationals amid rising anti-immigrant tensions across the country.
The deadly shooting took place on Saturday evening in the Chloorkop area of Kempton Park as the victims were returning home after closing their spaza shops in nearby Tembisa.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the four Pakistanis were travelling in a Honda Ballade when they stopped at a red traffic signal at the intersection of Zuurfontein and Oranjerivier roads. Moments later, a white sedan pulled up alongside their vehicle.
Two unidentified gunmen stepped out of the sedan and unleashed a hail of bullets on the Pakistani traders’ car in what police described as a targeted attack. The driver tried to steer the vehicle away from the attackers but lost control. The car crashed into the road’s central traffic divider before coming to a halt. All four occupants suffered fatal gunshot wounds and died at the scene. The attackers fled immediately after the shooting and remain at large.
Police launched a murder investigation but said the motive behind the attack is still unknown. No arrests have been made so far. The killings come at a time when foreign nationals in South Africa continue to face mounting hostility. Anti-immigrant groups, including March and March and Operation Dudula, have intensified campaigns against undocumented migrants, previously issuing an ultimatum demanding that foreign nationals leave the country by June 30, 2026.
Supporters of these movements claim that foreign workers are taking jobs from South Africans by accepting lower wages, a narrative that has gained traction amid worsening unemployment and economic hardship.
The rising tensions, coupled with government crackdowns on undocumented migrants, have forced thousands of foreigners to leave the country. According to official and local sources, nearly 160,000 foreign nationals have returned to their home countries since the anti-foreigner campaign gathered momentum.
