South African commentator and NewsFlash host Joe Emilio has released exclusive, never-before-seen footage of a taxi boss assassination carried out in broad daylight on the R300, calling it “proof that South Africa is now living in the Wild West.” The video, sent anonymously to Emilio, shows masked men dressed as construction workers opening fire with what appears to be an automatic weapon, killing a 32-year-old taxi owner and injuring his security detail. Watch the full episode here.
“This was an assassination in moving traffic,” Emilio says. “A stray bullet could have hit anyone. Ordinary South Africans are caught in a war they didn’t choose.”
The new footage follows Emilio’s recent reporting on the escalating lawlessness underpinning South Africa’s land grabs, documented in his acclaimed investigative film Stolen Ground, and his ongoing work to expose similar invasions in areas such as Hermanus, Kraaifontein, and Mbombela.
In his latest NewsFlash episodes, Emilio warns that crime in South Africa has become so pervasive that violent incidents, including attempts on people’s lives on highways, barely shock the public anymore.
“Very bad things are happening, and many people treat it as normal,” he says. “But this is not normal. Nowhere in the world would this be allowed to happen without major public outcry.”
He points to daily gang violence on the Cape Flats, rampant home invasions, and unchecked criminal syndicates as symptoms of a collapsing system. The assassination on the R300, he argues, is not an isolated event, but a symbol of a country losing control of its streets.
Further unpacking the issues of crime and police inefficiency, Emilio cites research done by the Institute for Security Studies, highlighting that only 22% of South Africans trust the police. This is a figure he says is both shocking and unsurprising. Watch the entire episode here.
“The president talks about fighting gender-based violence, yet his government tries to make it almost impossible for women to own self-defence firearms,” Emilio notes. “Meanwhile, police corruption is so deep that officers themselves are afraid to report criminal colleagues.”
According to Emilio, South Africa’s crisis is not about legislation but about policing: “The government’s own research proves that crime drops when policing improves. Not when they tighten firearm laws. Policing is weak. Criminals know it. Citizens pay for it.”
Emilio argues that the same breakdown in accountability driving violent crime is what fuels the country’s land invasions, an issue he has been documenting through his Stolen Ground series.
“Criminal syndicates thrive when policing collapses,” he explains. “The same lawlessness that allows assassins to shoot taxi bosses on the highway also enables illegal land grabs in places like Mbombela, Hermanus and Kraaifontein. Ordinary South Africans are the ones suffering.”
With production planned for Stolen Ground 2 and 3, Emilio is raising funds to continue exposing these networks and the political protection behind them.
“South Africans Deserve Better, and We Must Demand It” says Emilio as he calls on the public to reject indifference and pressure leaders to rebuild policing and justice institutions:
“There needs to be a complete overhaul of the justice system. Politicians and senior officials must be held accountable. Criminals must fear the law, not the other way around.”
He urges South Africans to speak out, share evidence, support investigative work, and refuse to normalise the violence happening around them.
Support the Stolen Ground Investigation
To help fund Stolen Ground 2 and 3, focusing on Hermanus and Kraaifontein, South Africans can contribute via BackaBuddy or EFT.
More information: stolenground.co.za
About Joe Emilio & NewsFlash
Joe Emilio is a South African commentator, content creator and investigative storyteller who hosts NewsFlash, a platform dedicated to exposing corruption, crime, and systemic governance failures. His documentary Stolen Ground uncovered coordinated land grab operations and the state failures that enable them. Emilio’s work continues to spotlight the collapsing rule of law and its impact on ordinary citizens.