Mobile city councilman shot in robbery in South Africa

A city councilman from Mobile, Alabama, is in stable condition after he was shot in the face in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The city released a statement Monday from relatives of councilman C.J. Small Jr. saying he was shot Saturday when someone ambushed a tour bus on which he was riding. The statement says Small and others were robbed of cellphones and other belongings.

City Council spokeswoman Marion Steinfels says Small is expected to recover.

Small owns a mortuary and traveled to South Africa for a mortician’s convention. The family says it’s working with the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg and the secretary of state in Washington.

The statement says a relative is with Small at a South African hospital, but it’s unclear when he will be able to return home.

Republished with permission of The Associated Press.