South Africa: Attempted assassination of Vice President Paul Mashatile

In South Africa, Vice President Paul Mashatile was the target of an attempted assassination in Boksburg.

The South African Vice President narrowly escaped an attempt on his life. He made the revelation on Sunday, April 20, 2025, during a press conference held as part of an official visit to the KwaSizabantu Mission in KwaZulu-Natal.

His convoy reportedly came under fire as it was leaving a meeting of the African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee in the Gauteng province.

The incident occurred several days earlier. While returning home from the NEC meeting, the armored vehicle carrying the Vice President was violently struck. “At first, I thought it was stones,” Mashatile told journalists. It wasn’t until he arrived at his destination that his security team began to suspect a much more serious attack.

According to initial assessments, the damage to the windshield—despite the vehicle being bulletproof—appeared inconsistent with stone-throwing. “They told me the impact was too strong. A bulletproof windshield doesn’t get damaged that easily,” he explained.

The details of the attack remain unclear, and an investigation has been launched to determine the motive behind the incident. “There’s no need to worry at the moment. Let’s stay focused on our work,” said Paul Mashatile.