Bophelong community leader gunned down outside his shop

After surviving a shooting in January, Bophelong community leader and businessman Thabiso Maphike was tragically killed in a hail of bullets outside his shop yesterday.

Maphike was shot and killed last night when two assailants opened fire on him as he sat in a car outside his shop with his business partner.

Following the shooting, dozens of Bophelong residents gathered at the scene in disbelief as police and forensic teams investigated.

Behind the police barricade, a black Golf 1 with a shattered passenger window could be seen near the entrance of Maphike’s shop.

Several bullet holes pierced the windscreen and body of the vehicle, as the 52-year-old’s body lay still on the car seat.

Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Maphike’s close friend and business partner described how two men emerged from the darkness before firing shots at the vehicle.

“We met earlier to stock up for his shop and later regrouped as we prepared to close. Two men asked if Maphike’s shop had a card machine. They left after buying a beer nearby and later returned with guns,” he said.

Rising from the dark, Lenela said all he recalls are the gunshots as they sat in the car.

“Several shots went off; maybe by the third one, I jumped out and lay on the ground between the shop and the car. When it went silent, I checked on Maphike and saw numerous bullets had hit him,” he said.

The Bophelong community remains in shock, with many sharing messages of support and condolences on social media for Maphike, who had been a strong advocate for reclaiming the township economy.

At the time of publishing, a police spokesperson had not yet commented on the matter.