Durban — A Phoenix resident is recovering in hospital after being shot and robbed near Brightfern Grove road on Thursday morning.
In another incident, a priest conducting an early morning prayer at a nearby house was robbed at gunpoint.
Gareth Naidoo, a spokesperson for the security company, KZN VIP Unit, said the man was waiting, on the corner of Crownfern Close and Brightfern Grove, for his lift to work when he was approached by a group of men in a red VW Polo.
Naidoo said the man was robbed of his laptop.
Phoenix Community Policing Forum chairperson, Dickson Murthi said before the incident, a priest had been conducting a memorial service in Kidfern Close when he was robbed of his cellphone and belongings.
The resident with him was also robbed.
“They placed guns to their heads,” Murthi said.
The group of men walked up the road towards their car, the Polo, when they saw another resident.
“The victim, who was waiting for transport, saw them and ran into Crownfern Close.
“The men chased after him.
“The victim threw his bag containing a laptop over one of the fences to a house,” he said.
“The men eventually caught up to him and assaulted him. They made him fetch his laptop.
“We are not sure why they shot him in his leg,” Murthi said.
“When we arrived, the victim was in immense pain and it appears that his leg was badly injured.”
The victim was taken to the Unit 10 Clinic, then to a nearby hospital.
Murthi said this was an isolated incident because community policing forum patrols had reduced crime in the area.
“Incidents are few and far between. This was such an unfortunate incident. Police will make a breakthrough and catch the suspects soon,” he said.
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed that a 36-year-old man on his way to work was accosted by armed robbers driving a red vehicle.
“At gunpoint, they robbed the victim of his laptop. While they were fleeing the scene, they shot the victim in the leg,” she said.
Charges of attempted murder and robbery were opened at Phoenix police station.
Daily News