Gunmen shot and killed their mugging victim in Alexandra, Johannesburg, took his shoes and shirt and were allegedly trying to take his pants but left them halfway down his legs before fleeing.
Residents woke up to find a body with gunshot wounds, without shoes or a shirt, at the corner of 6th Avenue and Ruth Street in Alexandra, next to Nobuhle hostel.
A hostel resident, who asked not to be named, told Sowetan they did not witness the incident but believe the man was robbed, saying violent muggings are common in the area.
Anyone who lives around here knows you can’t be outside after 7pm, or you risk being attacked.
— Alexandra resident
“People who saw what happened say the man was being robbed at around 10pm last night. The robbers took his belongings – his shoes and top. His trousers were halfway down, as if they were trying to remove them but ran out of time or were disturbed,” said the resident.
The resident added that crime in the area worsens after dark and the community lives in fear once night falls.
“We have a serious problem of mugging here. Anyone who lives around here knows you can’t be outside after 7pm, or you risk being attacked. This is not the first body to be found on that corner – it’s probably the third or fourth since October 2025,” they said.
When Sowetan visited the area, no one seemed to know the deceased; however, traces of blood could be seen on the street.
A few streets away on 5th London Street, another man was found dead.
Police had not yet commented at the time of publication.
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