Durban - An accomplice to a murder that took place at an informal settlement in Sydenham was allegedly shot and thrown off the Umgeni River bridge.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane said 23-year-old Mongameli Nhlanhleni was shot and killed in a tavern on Monday morning at 2:30 am at the Lacey Road informal settlement after an argument broke out between a group of people.
“Three other people were shot and wounded during the shooting. Yesterday, the body of a man suspected to be involved in the shooting at the tavern was found with gunshot wounds in the Umgeni River. It is suspected that he was shot and his body was thrown in the river,” Zwane said.
It is alleged that the accomplice blurted out the name of the shooter while they were fleeing the scene together. Police said the shooter and his accomplice got into a heated argument stating that he had blown his cover and placed him at the scene because people had heard him.
They were from the Kennedy Road informal settlement in Clare Estate. The argument led to the accomplice being shot multiple times. He was allegedly stuffed into the boot of a Toyota Yaris they had been using.
Sydenham Police detectives began their investigation and followed up on several leads. Detectives tracked down the owner of the Yaris to a residence in Carlise Street. Detectives found bloodstains in the boot of the car.
After investigations, police checked the tracking device on the vehicle to check its movements since Monday. The tracking device revealed that the car had stopped on the bridge on Monday morning.
Police alleged that the shooter and two others drove onto the N2 northbound Umgeni River bridge. They allegedly threw his body over the bridge with the intention of it landing in the water. However, the men did not realise that the body landed on a sand patch on the riverbank.
Police found a pool of blood on the road and bloodstains on the pedestrian walkway on the N2 Umgeni River bridge. When they peered over they saw the body in the bushes. The Police Search and Rescue Unit was called in to retrieve the body on Tuesday afternoon.
The body of the deceased who is said to be from Malawi and who was residing in Kennedy Road has to be identified by his family before police can release his name. Zwane said the accused, 33, will appear in the Durban Magistrates Court tomorrow on charges of murder. Sydenham Police are still hunting for two others.
Police Detectives Warrant Officers Pravin Seebaluk, Krishna Padaychee and Constables Erickson Jackson and Mahomed Shaik were commended for their efforts.