Durban - Police are probing the alleged involvement of a security firm, a private ambulance service and a funeral service in reported traffic infringements and firing of guns during a funeral procession at the weekend.
The brother of an alleged gang leader was given a send-off with the spinning of car tyres, gunshots and the sounding of emergency vehicle sirens from Raffia Road through to the cemetery in Chatsworth, south of Durban.
Videos of the funeral procession have been circulating on social media.
Reports suggest that staff of the security firm and ambulance service have handed themselves over to the police, after a case was opened at Bayview police station in Chatsworth.
According to police, white lights could only be fitted to vehicles owned by registered security service providers and driven by security officers.
Metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said investigations were under way.
The brother of an alleged gang leader was given a send-off with the spinning of car tyres, gunshots and the sounding of emergency vehicle sirens from Raffia Road through to the cemetery in Chatsworth, south of Durban. Video: Supplied
The funeral service’s vehicles were reportedly fitted with flashing white lights and sirens, which contravened national road traffic regulations. The service would be instructed to remove all such lights and sirens from its vehicles. “They cannot fit police sirens to their vehicles. These are only fitted to ambulances, fire engines and police vehicles,” Sewpersad said.
“These security guys had allegedly been firing shots, so a full investigation has to be done into the security company. All their firearms need to be taken in for ballistics (testing).”
Funeral services could also not close roads or spin the tyres of their vehicles.
A man fires a gun in the air during the funeral procession of the brother of an alleged gang leader at Raffia Road through to the cemetery in Chatsworth, south of Durban at the weekend. Picture: Screengrab.
The director of the funeral service allegedly involved said white lights had been fitted to their vehicles for more than 20 years, and they only used them during funeral processions.
“It’s a white light and not a blue light; it’s not causing a problem,” he said, adding that they would remove the light if asked to do so.