Durban – Verulam residents, north of Durban, are living in constant fear following the random murders of people since the start of 2023.
Verulam Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson Rachel Wilkin said it had become a norm for innocent members of the community to be randomly killed in public venues.
This comes after the body of a man who had sustained multiple shot wounds was discovered in a yard in Cornubia on Wednesday.
Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) spokesperson Prem Balram said Rusa received multiple calls from residents of the housing complex requesting assistance at the scene.
“The body of a man was discovered in a yard. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died prior to the arrival of first responders.
“A white Toyota Corolla was stationary on the road outside the yard. It was shot on the passenger door and rear bumper,” said Balram.
He said, according to witnesses, two men were seen pursuing the deceased on foot and firing shots in his direction. The man entered a yard in an attempt to evade his assassins.
“The homeowner, who is a registered nurse, was exiting her property in a Toyota Corolla with her two-year-old son in the passenger seat when the gunmen fired shots at her vehicle.
“They caught up with the deceased and shot him multiple times before they fled on foot. Fifteen spent 9mm cartridges were recovered,” said Balram.
He said witnesses alleged that the deceased was a drug dealer, but this could not be confirmed.
Wilkin said, as the community, they cannot say whether the incidents were part of organised crimes being committed by unknown culprits or they were just caused by criminals missing their targets.
“We are even scared to send children to stores because we never know when one might catch a stray bullet and die. We cannot go to the mall because of these incidents, and the authorities are not doing their jobs properly because none of these perpetrators have been arrested,” said Wilkin.
She said that last year, there had been an incident where people were sitting in their home, and a taxi driver who had been a victim of a stray bullet lost control of the taxi, and the taxi went into a house.
Police spokesperson Thenjiswa Ngcobo said the Verulam police were investigating a case of murder in Cornubia, north of Durban.
Ngcobo said a 34-year-old was walking on the road when he was shot and killed by two unknown suspects who then fled on foot.
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