Johannesburg - The North West Business Forum (NWBF) has urged its members to close their businesses and honour its slain billionaire Wandile Bozwana on Thursday.
A memorial service for Bozwana has been scheduled for Thursday at the Motshiwa Stadium in Mahikeng, and more than 5 000 members of the forum are expected to attend.
Bozwana, who was the forum’s deputy chairman, was mortally wounded in a drive-by shooting on the N1 in Garsfontein, Pretoria, on Friday.
He was with a female colleague, Mpho Baloyi, travelling north from Joburg, when a silver- grey BMW M3 pulled up next to theirs near the Garsfontein off-ramp.
A gunman apparently pulled out a gun and fired shots in the direction of Bozwana, who was in the front passenger seat. The man allegedly fired 12 bullets, nine of which struck Bozwana.
Baloyi, who was in the driver’s seat, was also hit in the attack but managed to drive to the nearby Menlyn Shopping Centre for help.
Bozwana and Baloyi were taken to Unitas Hospital but he succumbed to his multiple injuries.
On Wednesday, business forum spokesman Joe Mabe said Bozwana was “vociferous in condemning corruption and collusive dealing with regard to the procurement of goods and services by the provincial administration”.
“Sadly, as a campaign against rampant corruption in the North West government intensified and was gaining momentum, Bozwana was gunned down execution style,” Mabe
said.
“The heinous killing of Bozwana comes at a time when he was involved in several successful litigations against the North West government. The timing and style of his execution raised suspicion that his killing was a (political) hit.
“In loving memory of this gallant fighter and our fallen hero, we call on all peace-loving citizens to exercise restraint while taking forward the fight against corruption. We further call on our members to remain calm, cautious and always alert,” Mabe said.
He urged anyone with any information which could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators to contact the police.
Mabe said their organisation was the “most vocal and vibrant voice of businesses, particularly those deliberately marginalised and excluded by the North West government from participating in the economy of the province”.
He said their forum sought to create space for its members in the economic dispensation of the province and to facilitate an enabling environment for its members to do business there.
North West police urged residents not to heed to the call to stay away from work. Provincial commissioner Major-General Jacob Tsumane said: “The no-work call is a reckless call.”
The Star