Documented Tailor, Father of Three: The story of Ghanaian shot dead in South Africa

The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has confirmed the death of a Ghanaian who was killed in xenophobic attacks during the mass protests in South Africa on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 1, 2026, the ministry identified the victim as 40-year-old Bashiru Isak.

More details are emerging about the circumstances under which he died.

How and where he died

The ministry stated that Bashiru Isak was killed during an anti-immigration protest in Khayelitsha, a community in Cape Town.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received with profound shock and sadness reports of the fatal shooting of a Ghanaian national, Mr Bashiru Isak, aged 40 years, in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa, on Monday, June 30, 2026, during anti-immigrant demonstrations linked to ongoing xenophobic attacks," parts of the statement read.

Although the ministry did not state how the deceased was killed, a report by JoyNews indicated that Bashiru, who was a tailor, was shot dead in his shop.

The report stated that some thugs belonging to one of the anti-immigration groups, March-and-March, broke into his shop and shot him dead.

A video from the scene of the incident, which was shared by ChannelOne News, showed him lying in a pool of blood.

A man who was covering Bashiru's lifeless body with a cloth could be heard saying, “Sorry, my brother.”

Viewer discretion advised:

Legal status and family:

Although organisers of the anti-immigration marches have said that their grievance is with undocumented immigrants living in South Africa, the JoyNews report indicated that the late Bashiru Isak was documented.

It asserted that the victim had legal status to stay in South Africa, where he had been living for the past 20 years.

The report further indicated that he also had the necessary documentation to run his business, which he had been operating for more than a decade.

It also stated that the victim was living in South Africa with his wife and three children.

The report further stated that the eldest of the three children he left behind was 10 years old.



BAI