Ex-municipal employee shot dead while seated at his tuckshop in KZN
Police have launched a manhunt following the murder of a retired eThekwini Municipality in Mt. Moriah, KwaZulu-Natal, on Thursday
The incident occurred on Idolofiya Road in what appears to be a hit.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) said they responded to reports of a shooting at an informal trading structure.
“Upon arrival, officers found the victim inside the tuck shop with gunshot wounds to the chest and left arm. He was declared dead at the scene,” said RUSA spokesperson Prem Balram.
“According to eyewitness accounts, a white VW Polo pulled up near the shop. A lone occupant exited the vehicle and opened fire on the man before fleeing. Three spent 9mm cartridges were recovered inside the shop,” says Balram.
Balram also confirmed the details of the incident and said the shooting bore the hallmarks of a planned attack.
“The victim was shot at close range and showed no signs of life when our officers arrived. Based on the scene and witness statements, this appears to have been a targeted assassination,” added Balram.
Local residents identified the deceased as a former municipal employee who had retired from the eThekwini Municipality and was operating the tuck shop post-retirement. His cellphone and other valuables were found on him, suggesting robbery was not the motive.
Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, provincial police spokesperson, confirmed a murder had been opened.
She said the motive for the shooting is unknown and subject to a police investigation.
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