Four killed in South Africa shooting were believed to be Pakistanis

Four men believed to be Pakistani nationals were shot dead in what police are investigating as murder cases in South Africa’s Gauteng province, with the attack taking place in Kempton Park on Saturday evening.

Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed the killings and said the victims were foreign nationals, but added that their nationalities could not yet be confirmed. She said the four men were travelling in a Honda car when it stopped at a red light and two men in a white sedan pulled up alongside, got out and opened fire.

Nevhuhulwi said the Honda’s driver tried to get away but lost control and crashed into a traffic island. The motive remained unclear, and no arrests had been made as of Sunday.

The men were reported to be shopkeepers in the Sebenza area. Social media posts identified them as Pakistani nationals, while local police stopped short of officially confirming that detail.

In Pakistan, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday expressed “profound grief and sorrow over the killing of four Pakistani nationals” and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

Hayat Khan, president of the Pakistan South Africa Association, said the community was deeply shocked by the killings. He said, “It is heartbreaking to see people lose their lives simply while trying to earn an honest living and contribute to the South African economy. Violence affects not only the victims’ families but also creates fear and uncertainty throughout the wider community.”

He urged South African authorities to carry out a thorough investigation, bring those responsible to justice and strengthen protections for law-abiding residents regardless of nationality.

Addressing parliament on Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also referred more broadly to “outbreaks of anti-migrant sentiment and incidents of intimidation and violence directed at foreign nationals”. He said the government had taken “a firm stance against any form of intimidation, vigilantism or violence directed at foreign nationals”.

Previous cases

Pakistanis in South Africa have previously been targeted in violent incidents. In 2023, two Pakistani brothers were killed by unidentified individuals and were later buried in their native village of Chhangi in Sialkot district. In 2022, a man from Wazirabad was murdered during a robbery after working in South Africa for six years.