Durban - A prominent Durban tow truck boss has been shot dead at the scene of a crash - allegedly by a driver from a rival company - while police were nearby.
There had been a dispute over a crashed vehicle before Althaf Dawood, 46, was shot on the N3 freeway early on Sunday.
The killing has been condemned by the national chairman of the United Towing Association of SA, who said violence in the industry had got out of hand, and blamed the government for failing to introduce regulations.
Dawood, the owner of Jumbo’s Towing and Breakdown, was the KZN representative on the association’s executive committee.
He had been called to a crash scene on the N3 near the Felix Dlamini (Brickfield) Road off-ramp by one of his drivers after a scuffle broke out between tow truck drivers over who should tow a car that had crashed into the barriers.
Mayville police were at the off-ramp when Dawood was shot, having attended to an earlier incident where an unidentified man was killed in a hit-and-run.
While police were clearing the scene, the driver of a white VW Polo crashed into a concrete roadside barrier and was injured.
Paramedics and police were attending to that accident when several tow trucks arrived.
According to Ismail Mitha, owner of Big Show Towing, the first tow truck at a collision normally gets to tow the damaged car.
The Jumbo Towing truck got there first.
It is unclear what happened when Dawood arrived in his private vehicle at 1am, but police heard two shots. They found Dawood lying next to his bakkie with a bullet wound in the chest.
Police spokesman, Colonel Jay Naicker, said a suspect was arrested. He is believed to be a tow truck driver from a rival company.
“Mayville Police Station is investigating a case of murder. The suspect is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court today,” Naicker said.
Mitha said it was sad Dawood lost his life over a car.
“He was a wonderful person. The tow bill would have been R1 200,” Mitha said.
Asked why tow truck owners were on the road so late at night and in the early hours, Mitha said it was to support their drivers.
Ettienne Pel, national chairman of the United Towing Association of SA (Utasa), called Dawood’s murder a senseless and barbaric act.
“Violence is getting worse and worse in the industry, it’s the biggest problem and is starting to get out of control,” said Pel.
He
attributed the violence to the lucrative and extremely competitive nature of the industry.
“The financial element drives people to be so competitive and territorial. With no regulation, some charge exorbitant fees and bar other tow truck companies from working in ‘their’ areas.”
Pel blamed the government for not heeding Utasa’s call for regulations. He said only Gauteng had regulations.
“Tow truck companies are popping up everywhere, the industry is getting over-saturated and making it difficult to compete fairly in an industry rife with bullies.”
He said the association and other bodies were trying to “professionalise and instil discipline” as well as calling for vetting criteria and compulsory special licences, qualifications and training.
“It’s very easy for government to call us a bunch of vultures, but they do nothing while we request regulation to weed out unscrupulous and violent operators,” said Pel.
Police have opened a culpable homicide docket for the hit-and-run incident.
Dawood’s funeral was held on Sunday afternoon.
Daily News