Durban - The man and woman killed in a drive-by shooting that took place in the uMhlanga area on Saturday have been identified.
Driver Bradley Hiralal, from Stonebridge in Phoenix, died in hospital, while Bilquees Hussain, from Newlands, West, died at the scene.
They had been travelling in a black convertible BMW towards the Gateway shopping centre at 1pm, when they were ambushed by suspects in another black BMW.
The suspects fired several shots as the vehicles drove side-by-side.
Hussain’s funeral took place in Durban North, while Hiralal’s funeral was held at the Clare Estate Crematorium yesterday. Hiralal’s brother, Denver, said they were busy with the funeral arrangements and could only speak to The Mercury at a later stage.
According to security company Reaction Unit South Africa, that attended to the scene, Hiralal and Hussain were travelling on Umhlanga Rocks Drive when a second black BMW drove up on the passenger side of their vehicle.
The occupants of the second BMW opened fire on the convertible BMW before speeding off. The convertible crashed into the traffic circle before coming to a stop.
Netcare 911 spokesperson Shawn Herbst said medics assessed Hussain and found that she had sustained multiple fatal gunshot wounds, and was declared dead.
Hiralal, who also sustained multiple gunshot wounds, was found to be in a critical condition.
“Advanced life support paramedics initiated a full resuscitation and transported him to hospital, where he died shortly after arrival,” Herbst said.
Hussain, a mother of two, had to undergo skin grafting in 2013 after a kettle of boiling water was poured on her.
She suffered second-degree burns to her left arm, chest and thighs.
Police spokesperson Nqobile Gwala said the motive for the shooting was not clear, and investigations were continuing.
“I can confirm that there was a shooting on Umhlanga Rocks Drive, where a woman was fatally shot by unknown suspects and the man with her sustained injuries and was taken to hospital and died. Charges of murder will be opened for investigation at
Durban North police station,” Gwala said.
On Facebook, Noorie Jacobs paid tribute to Hussain.
“My dearest baby sister! I don’t know what to say. I’ve been blessed to have you in my life!!! We have so many beautiful memories that we shared. May God grant your children all the strength they need. A mother is irreplaceable. I will always love you,” Jacobs wrote.
Other tributes poured in for the duo on social media, while some called for the death penalty to be reinstated.
One wrote: “Plain * simple bring back the death penalty. Our people are dying like flies while the criminals are out there laughing at us (sic).”
“This is so insane there’s no respect for human life anymore,” another posted.
A post read: “Rest in peace to the two people who lost their lives today. I pray the families of the deceased receive strength, comfort and peace from God alone. May He grant them all the healing they need to recover from such heartbreak.”
This was the second shooting in the Durban area this weekend.
On Friday, a man sustained several injuries after he was shot while
driving on Buckingham Terrace in Westville.