Durban - A case of mistaken identity is suspected as the motive in the shooting of a father and son in Mariannhill last week.
This, said a police officer close to the investigation and who is also a close relative of Moonsamy Naidoo, 62, and his son Mogamberry Naidoo, 33, was an avenue being explored by authorities after an attack on a neighbour last year.
“We are regarding the attack on the neighbour last year - who was stabbed 27 times - as an attempted ‘hit’. He survived,” said the family spokesman on Sunday.
He explained that they suspected this because both he and Naidoo used the same communal driveway to gain access to their properties in Mariannhill, and both drove the same kind of luxury vehicles (Mercedes Benz), possibly leading to the assailants having made the crucial mistake.
He said the identity of the neighbour was being withheld, and he had been advised by police not to talk about either incident.
No arrests have yet been made in either incident, but, he said, police were exploring “several leads”.
The Daily News reported on Friday that Netcare 911 spokesman, Chris Botha, said paramedics arrived at the scene at 7.30am on Wednesday and stabilised the pair.
They were taken to Hillcrest Hospital, where they are in the intensive care unit.
The relative said they had sustained serious bodily trauma, including damage to internal organs.
Mogamberry would be operated on Monday morning to remove the bullet from his body.
The six men, he said, had come to the home, which doubles as a sand cartage and Truck Trailer Bus (TTB) components business, and pretended to buy building sand and stone.
“(Moonsamy) normally parks his car on the property, but because he wanted to repair a few problems with the vehicle, he left it parked on the street. When the men approached him to buy the materials, that was when they grabbed him by the throat.”
He said Moonsamy’s wife had seen what was happening from the house, and alerted Mogamberry so he could go and help his father.
“She was screaming and became hysterical, thinking it might have been a hijacking,” he said.
Having witnessed the turn of events, she has been left traumatised by the incident, he said.
He explained: “Mogamberry then shouted at the attackers - who were armed with 9mm pistols, casings of which were later found by police - to let his father go.
“They then discharged several shots and wounded Mogamberry. They also shot Moonsamy at close range.”
Both were shot in the stomach.
The getaway vehicle, a blue VW Polo, was recovered by police the same day in Dassenhoek, but the suspects were still at large.
“The whole family is shocked at the incident and is very worried about (the victims). In the 50 years that this business had been in operation, there had never been an incident like this.”
The spokesman said that the close-knit family members all played a role in running the business.
Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said on Friday that the motive for the shooting was unknown, and no arrest had been made so far.
Pinetown Police Station is investigating a case of attempted murder.
Daily News