Durban – A young man was shot and fatally wounded in front of his family at his home in J Section, Magwaveni in oThongathi, KwaZulu-Natal, last Thursday by robbers posing as police officers.
Reaction Unit South Africa(Rusa) spokesperson, Prem Balram, said the Rusa oThongathi Operations Centre received a call for assistance at approximately 9.59pm.
Balram said when members arrived at the scene they discovered the lifeless body of a male in the home who had been shot multiple times in the body and head.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said police in oThongathi were investigating a case of murder and armed robbery in the wake of the incident. The dead man was 31 years of age.
“Information at police's disposal indicates that the man was sleeping with his wife and a four-month-old baby when they reportedly heard a knock at the door by people who identified themselves as police officers,” he said.
Netshiunda said the man refused to open but the suspects broke the door open and overpowered him.
Three men entered the house, armed with pistols, while a fourth one guarded the door, he said.
“Suspects allegedly demanded money from the man and when he said that he had no money, he was reportedly shot. He was declared dead at the scene,” said Netshiunda.
Netshiunda said the killers grabbed the deceased's bag which contained an undisclosed amount of money.
The suspects then fled the scene on foot.
“The wife and the child were unharmed,” he said.
Police said the motive of the killings was unknown at this stage and a manhunt for the suspects was under way.