Johannesburg - A truck driver was shot and seriously wounded while his passenger was killed when armed men ambushed them near the M2 highway in Joburg early on Wednesday morning.
Police said the trucker, 44, and his passenger, 36, were from Mozambique and on their way to the Joburg Market in City Deep at the time of the attack.
Captain Augustinah Selepe said the incident happened on the Vickers Road off-ramp on the M2 West at about 5am.
Selepe said the truck driver had stopped at the traffic lights when a blue Corsa blocked the off-ramp.
“A number of suspects got out the car, went to the truck and fired several shots at the driver and the passenger. The passenger died at the scene and the driver is in a critical condition in hospital,” Selepe said.
“The men then fled to the nearby George Goch hostel on foot.”
She said high-calibre firearms were used.
Both the truck and the Corsa were abandoned at the scene.
The police found that the Corsa had been hijacked in nearby Jeppe the previous day. No further details of that hijacking were available.
It is not clear what the motive for the truck attack was although there is speculation that it was robbery.
It’s not clear if anything was taken as the truck was empty.
Cases of murder, attempted murder and attempted robbery have been opened.
Selepe confirmed that the owner of the truck had been told of the incident.
Sapa reports that on Tuesday afternoon a 41-year-old man was shot in front of his family during an attempted hijacking in Glen Marais on the East Rand.
Wimpie Gadney was shot in the chest and died as he arrived at hospital, said police spokesman Captain Jethro Mtshali on Wednesday morning.
“Three suspects entered their yard in Glen Marais at about 5pm shortly after the family arrived home. The deceased was in the house when he heard his wife screaming and went to investigate.
“A scuffle ensued between him and the three suspects and he was shot. Their two young daughters were in the car with their mother when the suspects arrived,” Mtshali said.