Sleeping man shot 18 times

Johannesburg - Someone carefully removed the pane of glass from Nelson Khumalo’s bedroom window and climbed into his room at about midnight on Sunday and shot him 18 times as he lay sleeping.

His neighbour heard a single scream, and then silence. It was he who would later count the 18 cartridges scattered on the floor around Khumalo’s body.

On Monday afternoon, the 36-year-old’s family had gathered in his small room on 3rd Avenue in Alexandra, packing his things into black plastic bags. Khumalo lived alone in the house.

A mop and bucket that had been used to wash away his blood lay where the body had been. His valuables, including a cellphone and laptop, were still in the room, left untouched by the intruder or intruders. No one is sure how many attackers were involved in the killing.

The only thing that appeared to be missing was Khumalo’s bunch of keys, which the killers may have used to let themselves out.

There were also phone calls his girlfriend remembered receiving on Sunday night from Khumalo, that now appear to have been erased from his cellphone call log.

She said he often complained about work, but described his complaints as normal gripes of work and nothing out of the ordinary.

Eblockwatch founder Andre Snyman posted on the crime-fighting organisation’s Facebook page that one of Khumalo’s colleagues had messaged him to say they had their own suspicions as to who may be responsible.

The message also said other colleagues at the Linbro park office where Khumalo worked were now also fearful of being targeted.

Khumalo’s employer did not want to be named and declined to comment publicly on his murder.

Despite many neighbours living in close proximity to his room, Khumalo’s aunt said no one had been able to give them more information about the murder. Those living and working around Khumalo’s house, including a group of community patrollers who had been on duty on Sunday night, claimed not to know what happened.

One neighbour said they had heard shots, but had not come out of their room because of fear.

“If you come out you also become a victim,” the man said.

SAPS spokeswoman Captain Kym Cloete confirmed that the police had been called out to a shooting at about 1.30am on Monday. She said they had found a man lying dead on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds. She said the investigation was continuing and no arrests had been made.

Some of Khumalo’s relatives, who did not want to be named, described him as a man who loved jazz.

“He told the neighbours: ‘If I die, during my burial if you don’t play these songs, my coffin won’t go down,” said his aunt, pointing to a large cardboard box filled with jazz CDs.

Khumalo’s sister said he had been living in Alex for many years and the family did not know why anyone would want to kill him.

Khumalo will be buried in Mpumalanga.

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The Star