Well-known Johannesburg attorney Bouwer van Niekerk was gunned down on Friday morning at the offices of the law firm Smit Sewgoolam in Avonwold.
Bouwer van Niekerk shot dead in Johannesburg
The 45-year-old lawyer, who had handled several high-profile cases involving the Gupta family’s collapsed companies, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to News24, shortly after 13:30 (SAST), a pathology services vehicle arrived at the premises as police cordoned off the area.
Heavily armed private security guards and multiple patrol vehicles stood guard while investigators photographed and examined the crime scene.
Police confirmed that a murder case has been opened, but no arrests had been made by late Friday.
A lawyer who warned of “terrifying message” after Murray murders
Van Niekerk had been outspoken about the dangers faced by legal professionals investigating powerful and criminal networks.
In a March 2023 opinion piece, he reacted to the murders of liquidator Cloete Murray and his son Thomas Murray, writing:
“The blatant lawlessness of this horrific incident yet again shows an omnipresent threat by malevolent criminals who display a shocking ambivalence toward human life. It is also a stark reminder that those who are willing to investigate the trees with possibly very big, rotten roots may end up facing the deadliest of winds.”
The deaths of Cloete and Thomas Murray, who were shot in their car while working on politically sensitive liquidation cases, shocked the country. Van Niekerk described those killings as a “terrifying message” to professionals who investigate corruption and organised crime.
Crime scene investigators in blue forensic suits were seen inside and outside the law firm on Friday afternoon. Yellow police tape cordoned off the building, while officers collected evidence and took photographs.
Gauteng police spokespersons have not released details on possible suspects or motives but confirmed that detectives are probing the case as a targeted hit.
Members of the Johannesburg legal community expressed shock at the killing.
Van Niekerk had built his career around insolvency and liquidation law, often working on sensitive cases involving large sums of money and politically exposed individuals.
His death adds to growing concerns over the safety of South African lawyers dealing with high-stakes financial crimes.
