Durban - A Richards Bay man carrying a large sum of cash was followed all the way from Zululand to uMhlanga before hijackers struck, shooting him in the shoulder.
A source close to the investigation confirmed that the hijackers tried to pull him off the road at the N2/M41 (uMhlanga) interchange at about 3pm on Friday and a shot was fired striking the driver's side door. The man then managed to drive off with the hijackers in hot pursuit and drove to the uMhlanga Hospital.
"At the hospital he abandoned his car at the entrance and in a panicked state ran into the hospital," the source said. "The robbers then opened the boot, took the money and fled."
It is believed the man was carrying R100 000 in cash and was on his way to uMhlanga to buy a car. The victim believed he had been followed from the bank where he withdrew the money.
Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed the incident: "On Friday mid-afternoon the victim was traveling on the M41 carrying an undisclosed amount of cash. The occupants of an unknown white BMW fired shots at him. The man drove to the nearest hospital and ran inside while the suspects followed him to the hospital and took an undisclosed amount of cash and fled the scene," she said.
Gwala confirmed the victim sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder and is being treated at the hospital.
A case of armed robbery is being investigated by Durban North SAPS.
The incident caused major traffic delays and congestion on uMhlanga Ridge and the M41.