The key facts
- Tourist Anatoly Nizovtsev (born 1960) was killed on November 5 on the N4 highway in Mpumalanga province; his wife Elena (born 1964) was wounded in the left eye
- According to the emergency service First Care, the car ran over scattered spikes, but the South African police have not officially confirmed this version
- The Russian Embassy confirmed the death and is providing consular assistance to the widow; as of November 8, no suspects had been detained
What happened on the N4 highway
On the evening of November 5, Russian tourists traveling by car from Johannesburg to Kruger National Park were attacked on the N4 highway near Ekandustria in Mpumalanga province. According to the local service First Care, cited by the South African publication Pretoria Rekord, the car ran over sharp metal objects scattered across the road — a tire was damaged, and the man stopped to change the spare. At that moment, unknown individuals approached the vehicle, robbed the couple and opened fire. The shooting was reported to police at around 22:00, the emergency service received the call at 22:44 and arrived at the scene at 23:03.
The victim and the injured woman
The Russian Embassy in South Africa officially confirmed the tourist's death: he was Anatoly Nizovtsev, born in 1960, who had flown to Johannesburg together with his wife Elena, born in 1964, on the day of the attack. 'A. Nizovtsev died at the scene from gunshot wounds. The body has been taken to a morgue,' the diplomats told RIA Novosti. The woman was wounded in the left eye and survived; according to the embassy, she is currently staying at a hotel in Pretoria, and the consular section is assisting her. The diplomatic mission said it expects a thorough investigation of the murder and the identification of those involved. The 360.ru TV channel, citing Gazeta.Ru , added that a child was traveling with the couple and was taken to a hospital; no information about the child's condition has been received.
The investigation and the spike-strip theory
The South African police, represented by Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Mabunda... actually Colonel Isaac Mabunda — no, as given: Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Mudau — confirmed the man's death and the woman's injury, and a murder case has been opened. As of November 8, no suspects had been detained. However, the police have not officially confirmed the key theory that the attackers had pre-scattered spikes on the highway: it appears in the First Care report but remains preliminary. After the incident, the local road safety organization Live Traffic NPC warned motorists about the danger of such traps and recommended, where possible, not stopping on deserted unlit stretches of highway even with a damaged tire, but instead driving to the nearest safe place. According to Gazeta.Ru, the section of the N4 highway where the attack took place is on a 'black list'.
