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A well-known businessman in Mkhuhlu, Mpumalanga, Joseph “Big Joe” Nyalungu, has been shot dead in an apparent assassination.
The incident took place on Saturday at the crossroad next to his business premises, said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Col Mavela Masondo.
“Yes, I can confirm a prominent rhino poaching kingpin was shot today. I am going to the scene, and I will issue a statement in 30 minutes,” said Masondo.
It is alleged that, Nyalungu was hit by multiple bullets fired by unknown gunmen.
This fatal attack comes one week after he survived a previous attempt on his life at the same location.
On Friday, May 8, Nyalungu narrowly escaped death when a gunman entered his workshop yard and fired more than ten shots at him.
Nyalungu was hit in the shoulder, stomach and thigh during that incident.
He managed to crawl away, and the shooter fled the scene.
He was treated at a hospital and discharged the next morning.
After that first attack, it was reported Nyalungu was “alive and kicking” and felt safe.
It appears the attackers returned this weekend to finish the job, and Nyalungu did not survive the second shooting.
Nyalungu was a former police officer who became one of the most famous figures in the Mbombela region.
For over a decade, police accused him of being a top leader in a major rhino poaching and money laundering syndicate.
His troubles with the law started as far back as 2008, and over the years he was arrested multiple times by the Hawks and police units in both Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
In May 2023, he was arrested after a high-speed chase near Hoedspruit, where police allegedly found him in possession of a rhino horn and a large amount of cash.
Police raided his workshop in Mkhuhlu and found illegal explosives and heavy calibre ammunition in 2024.
Nyalungu’s court cases including for alleged racketeering, theft and illegal hunting were delayed for years.
He was out on bail for multiple open cases at the time of his death.
TimesLIVE
Emanuel Majola
www.timeslive.co.za
