Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal - A man burned to death in his car after he was shot in Chatsworth on Tuesday night, despite efforts from his frantic friends to save him.
A Chatsworth resident, who did not want her name published, said the man had arrived at her house in his Mercedes ML320 to fetch a relative who had been visiting.
She described the victim as a “wealthy businessman” from the Bluff, who has a wife and two daughters.
“I was in the kitchen when I heard the gunshots.
“He had called my husband to say he was coming to fetch the relative from our house. The gate was opening when he was shot.”
She said there were four gunshots but the suspects immediately fled the scene.
“He drove straight through the gate and hit the wall so he was jammed in the car.
“He had blood on his shirt but was still alive.”
The victim could not get out of the car because the driver’s door was blocked by the wall.
His friends broke the passenger side window to try to get him out of the car but could not manage to open the door because of the central locking.
During this time, the tyres caught fire.
“He had accelerated into the yard so fast the wheels were spinning. There were actually shreds of tyre in the yard. The friction caused the fire on the wheels,” she said.
In an effort to quell the flames, the friends, joined by neighbours who had come out to help, poured water on the fires but they kept re-igniting.
“He was in so much shock. He then reversed the car, I think so that he could try to get out the driver’s side.
“We heard a small explosion and then the car just burst into flames and everybody stepped back.”
She said emergency services then arrived, but there was nothing that could be done for the man.
“If the car hadn’t caught alight, he would have survived.
“He was injured but still talking to us. He even called my name.
“We’re all just in so much shock. I never thought for a minute that he would die.”
Spokesman for the Saps, Colonel Jay Naicker, confirmed the 46-year-old man was at a house in Havenside Drive in Chatsworth at about 11.15pm when the incident happened.
“He was allegedly shot and his vehicle crashed into a wall and burst into flames when he tried to speed off. The suspects sped off in their getaway vehicle.
“The motive of the incident is unknown at this stage. Bayview police are investigating a case of murder and no arrest has been made at this stage.”
Daily News