SILINDILE NYATHIKAZI
Durban - THE BROTHER of a slain KwaMashu man suspects the murder was executed by local thugs.
The gruesome murders of Siyabonga Ndlovu and his girlfriend Nonhle Ntuli at 9.50pm on Saturday has prompted the Ndlovu family to follow all leads to ensure the suspects are brought to justice. The attack took place at B section on Skhindi Road in KwaMashu.
“Siya and his family were coming back from Ballitoville when a hail of bullets descended on them as they drove into their yard. It was execution-style because we found something like over 60 bullets on the scene. They (the suspects) were in a Opel Kadett outside the house and after shooting them, they got into another vehicle which I think was a Toyota Verso. We have reported the matter to the police but do not have a case number yet,” said Skholiwe Ndlovu, Siyabonga Ndlovu’s brother.
He felt the CCTV footage would help in identifying the shooters whom he believed were in his brother’s social circles.
“This was not the first attempt on Siya’s life and at the time of his murder, Siya was receiving death threats from certain thugs in KwaMashu.”
Ndlovu believed his brother’s murder was premeditated.
“We found over 60 bullets at the crime scene and as someone who works in the security business, I could see that these came from rifles and other smaller guns and that this was a co-ordinated attack because they had a getaway car.”
While he was not sure why the assailants targeted his brother, he suspected there was tension in his social circles and the attack was connected to the attempt on Siyabonga’s life in September.
“This shooting happened in Kwa-L KwaMashu where over 15 bullets were found on the scene.”
In an email written last year by Siyabonga, and seen by Daily News, he felt his life was in danger and pleaded with his lawyers to investigate the slow pace of a case of malicious damage to property he had opened in November 2018.
In the email, he said he had suffered intimidation and victimisation due to the case and later had to withdraw it as he was “supposedly uncontactable”.
“I have had to obtain a protection order from the Ntuzuma court’s Domestic Violence Unit as a result of the victimisation by the suspects on the case. Furthermore the suspect said he will have me killed and I was shot (at) 13 times in September last year and nearly lost my life and he is still bragging,” Siyabonga wrote.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele confirmed that charges of murder and attempted murder were being investigated by KwaMashu SAPS.
“It is alleged that on January 23, 2021 at 9pm at B section on Sikhindi Road in KwaMashu, a vehicle with a couple, aged 30 and 35, and two children, aged 8 and 9, was shot at by unknown suspects. The couple were declared dead at the scene while the children were taken to hospital for medical attention. The motive for the killing is unknown,” said Mbele.
Allegations that Siyabonga was an undercover agent for the SAPS were vehemently dismissed by Skholiwe Ndlovu, Siyabonga’s brother.
Skholiwe said his brother was only extremely helpful with his business operations.
A well-placed police source said: “He was a very good person. We believe he was shot by the same people he was investigating who also shot him eight months ago. Those suspects got bail.”
Mbele did not comment on these claims.
Daily News