Durban - Llewellyn Edwards’s fiancée wept in court when the two men accused of killing him stood in the dock in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Father and son Joseph Errol Ernest, 45, and 20-year-old Juade Joseph Ernest are accused of shooting Edwards after an alleged argument outside Lavo Nightclub (formerly Hip Hop Palace) on July 2.
The State indicated they opposed bail and Magistrate Mahomed Motala remanded the men to Westville Prison until July 26 for a formal bail application.
A resident, who declined to be named, said an argument broke out between the three men and Joseph allegedly drew his firearm.
Shots were fired and Edwards slumped to the ground. He died in hospital a few hours later.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane said a case of murder was opened at Brighton Beach Police Station.
Outside the court, Edwards’ friends and family listened intently as the investigating officer informed them of the next step of the court proceedings.
His fiancée declined to comment on the events leading up to the shooting. “I do not want to relive those moments,” she said.
His relatives, who declined to be named, said two weeks before his death, Edwards told them that “something was going to happen”.
The family said Edwards’ shooting was not gang-related but stemmed from an old vendetta.
Less than a week after Edwards’s death, another Wentworth man was gunned down. Chadleigh David, 26, was near his Bute Lane home when three men began shooting at him. David was rushed to hospital where he later died.
The two shootings have sparked fear in the community. Last year, members of rival gangs, G Section and Destroyers signed a peace pact agreeing to end the years of violence in the south Durban township.
Last weekend, extra law enforcement was deployed to Wentworth. Edwards’ funeral took place last Saturday and there were fears of reprisal shootings.
This weekend, David’s funeral will take place and extra policing is expected to be in the area.