KARACHI: Four men, reported to be Pakistani nationals, were gunned down in a suspected ambush in South Africa, it emerged on Monday.

South African news platform News24 reported on Sunday that the incident occurred in Kempton Park, a city in the Gauteng province, on Saturday evening. It added that the victims were shopkeepers in the Sebenza area. “According to several social media posts, the victims were Pakistani nationals,” the news outlet said, but noted that police were unable to confirm the victims’ nationalities.

When asked to confirm the nationality of the victims, Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi told News24: “They are [foreign nationals], but unfortunately at this stage, I cannot confirm their nationality.”

According to her, the victims’ Honda car had stopped at a red traffic light when two unknown men driving a white sedan stopped next to their vehicle, got out and started shooting at them.

“The driver of the Honda tried to drive off but lost control and hit a traffic island,” the police official said.

In a statement issued on Monday, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed “profound grief and sorrow over the killing of four Pakistani nationals” in the incident. Pakistan South Africa Association president Hayat Khan said the association was deeply saddened by the killings and conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased, local IOL News reported.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2026