Xenophobic: Gunmen Murder Nigerian Businessman, Big Joe, In South Africa

By Ayodele Oni

As the rave of xenophobic attacks by South African on non nationals continue unabated, unidentified gunmen have shot dead a Nigerian businessman known as Big Joe.

The incident occurred outside his business premises in Witbank, Emalahleni, in Mpumalanga Province on Sunday.

The targeted assassination comes at a highly volatile time, as local xenophobic mobs and anti-foreigner groups intensify their aggressive campaigns to forcefully evict, attack, and shut down businesses owned by foreign nationals ahead of a June 30, 2026 deadline openly declared by local extremist groups.

According to reports, the assailants opened fire on the businessman multiple times before fleeing the scene.

The execution of Big Joe is not an isolated incident of urban crime; it is directly connected to a coordinated, rising tide of xenophobia sweeping through parts of South Africa.

For weeks, various ultra-nationalist groups and local mobs have been distributing flyers and issuing online ultimatums, warning all foreign nationals to close their shops and vacate the communities by June 30 or face severe consequences.

Despite repeated assurances from the South African government that the safety of diplomatic residents and foreign businesses would be guaranteed, the reality on the ground paints a grim picture of state complicity and law enforcement indifference.

Many Nigerians living in Witbank, Johannesburg, and Pretoria feel completely abandoned, noting that the South African police systematically turn a blind eye when foreign-owned businesses are pillaged or when individuals are targeted for extrajudicial killings.

The k!lling comes amid heightened tensions over anti-immigrant sentiments in parts of South Africa, where some groups have recently called for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.

The South African Police Service has not released an official statement confirming the identity of the victim or the motive behind the attack.

Investigations are reportedly underway to identify the assailants and motive.

The incident has also renewed concerns over the safety of foreign nationals living and doing business in South Africa, with members of the Nigerian diaspora calling for a thorough investigation and justice for the victim.