Durban - A Shalcross family is in mourning this weekend after the death of Pathmanathan Ganas, 42, who was gunned down on Thursday night.
This was on the eve of the latest crime statistics being released on Friday which highlighted that murder, hijacking and robbery with aggravated assault had all recorded increases in KwaZulu-Natal.
For the Ganas family it is not about statistics, but about the heartbreaking loss of their “devoted family man”, said Senthy Marimuthu.
“My cousin Denise was chatting to her neighbour over the
fence on Thursday night, when two men suddenly appeared and demanded the keys for a car in the driveway.
“The car does not belong to the family, so Denise didn’t have the keys. When she tried to explain, they just started shooting at the house.
“When Pathmanathan (Nathan) heard the shots, he ran out to defend her and the second man shot him,” he said on Friday.
His 10-year-old daughter, Carmen, who was asleep, was wounded when bullets from an automatic weapon ripped through the house.
Ganas was taken to hospital, where he died. His daughter was treated for a shoulder injury.
“He was so young and this was a guy who lived for his wife and family. He was such a fantastic person and those kids were his life. You never think it is going to happen to your family,” said
Marimuthu.
The criminals fled.
Marimuthu said up to 26 shots had been fired and the family had counted 17 bullet holes.
The funeral took place today.
The vicious attack has sent shockwaves through the
community.
A Shallcross resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “They sprayed the house wildly with an automatic (weapon). There were shells everywhere.
“They escaped in a silver grey Golf and security companies chased them,” he said.
On Friday, there was outrage on social media over the senseless killing, with one Shallcross resident describing the incident on Facebook as “so many shots fired, it was like a war zone”.
Another said “these heinous crimes must be looked at very seriously. Just too many because of the complacency with our laws in the country protects the criminals and gives them all sorts of rights”.
KwaZulu-Natal SAPS media spokesperson, Colonel Thembeka Mbhele, on Friday confirmed the shooting.
“Cases of murder, attempted murder and attempted carjacking have been opened at Chatsworth Police Station for investigation. No arrests have been made,” said Mbhele.
Ganas leaves his wife Denise Amelia, his son Jaden, 13, and daughter, Carmen, 10.
On Thursday morning, a Cowies Hill family was held up at gunpoint by a gang of people in balaclavas.
The family, who did not want to be named, told sister paper the Daily News that gunmen gathered the family together, holding guns to their heads before ransacking the house.
The gang left in a getaway vehicle, as well as in the family car.
Pinetown police are investigating and the gang is still at large.
A couple in Reservoir Hills were held hostage at gunpoint.
They were asleep when three men broke down their front door.
The intruders demanded their bank PIN numbers, while also striking them with a bush knife.
While one of the perpetrators kept watch over the terrified couple, the other two went to try to withdraw money from a nearby ATM.
When this failed, the two men returned and the gang assaulted the couple.
The 54-year-old husband was tied up and blindfolded, while his 57-year-old wife was raped repeatedly by the robbers.
Sydenham police said they were investigating.