A businessman was brutally gunned down outside his tuck shop in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal, on Wednesday night in what appears to be a targeted assassination.
Inanda businessman killed in suspected hit
Police and emergency responders arrived at the crime scene to find the victim’s body riddled with bullets. Authorities are now searching for four gunmen who fled the scene in a white Toyota Etios.
Residents in Amaoti, a township in Inanda, reported hearing multiple gunshots around 20:59 before alerting Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) and the South African Police Service (SAPS).
A woman who called RUSA’s operations centre said she hid in her home after the gunfire erupted, fearing for her safety.
When police and security officials arrived, they discovered 25 spent cartridges scattered around the crime scene.
The deceased was identified as the owner of the tuck shop, who was locking up for the night when he was ambushed. Witnesses say four suspects opened fire before speeding off in an unidentified vehicle.
Authorities have not confirmed the motive for the attack, and no arrests have been made. Investigators are reviewing security footage and gathering evidence to determine whether the killing was linked to business dealings, extortion, or other criminal elements.
While unrelated, this assassination bears similarities to the recent shooting of Maxwell Mlangeni, a businessman who was attacked outside his logistics company in Witbank.
Mlangeni, a Zimbabwean national, was targeted in what appeared to be a hit while sitting in his Ferrari outside Today’s Destiny Logistics. He remains in critical condition.
The KwaZulu-Natal SAPS has not yet provided an official statement on the Inanda case.