Durban: A Pakistani national living in Durban was shot dead on Saturday in an alleged hit.
Aftad Ahmed, 35, was killed while at a friend's business on Umgeni Road.
His friend, Naveed Mohamed Mujtaba, said Ahmed was helping out at his blanket shop while he was in Cape Town.
He said the CCTV footage showed two suspects entering the premises posing as customers.
"They asked my staff about the price of certain blankets. They then asked where the nearest ATM machine was. They were given directions, but they left in another direction. Two other men then came into the shop, and they headed straight for Ahmed, who was sitting behind a desk. They began shooting at him."
Ahmed died at the scene.
Mujtaba said the suspects then got into a silver VW Polo, which was parked nearby. He said the vehicle did not have a registration plate.
"This was definitely a targeted killing. From what I knew, Aftad was a police informer. While chatting to me at the shop, the police would pick him up and drop him off."
He said Ahmed was in South Africa for 10 years, and he lived in the Durban CBD.
"He did not have family in South Africa. Aftad was a lovely person. He did not deserve to die in that way."
Mujtaba said he prayed that the men responsible for Ahmed's killing would be caught and punished. He said he was afraid to open his shop alone.
"Now I go in with four or five others. My wife and children are scared for my safety. I've been in the country for 25 years. This is my home. I can't leave. I have to continue with my business as it's all I have."
A prayer was held on Tuesday, and Ahmed’s body will be repatriated to Pakistan.
Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala, a provincial police spokesperson, said a case of murder is being investigated by Durban Central SAPS.
Gwala did not respond to the allegation that Ahmed was an informer.
The Post