Online Reporter
Moments before police fired a volley of lethal shots at Mlondi Zithumane Gasela, a prominent KwaZulu-Natal taxi boss and businessperson, he had allegedly pleaded not to be killed in front of his minor children.
Gasela was shot dead during a police raid at his home in Uvongo near Port Shepstone on KZN’s south coast, in the early hours of Monday. Speaking to Sowetan, his brother Banele said the taxi boss had said: “What have I done? Let’s talk. Please don’t kill me in front of my kids.”
His terrified children were allegedly awoken by the sound of the gunfire and saw their father’s body lying on a bed.
Police spokesperson Cpt Ntathu Ndlovu maintained that Gasela and his security guard had refused to comply with police instructions during the raid and fired first, prompting the officers to retaliate.
“The duo were fatally wounded when they engaged with police in a shootout. They fired first before police responded. Five unlicensed firearms, including two AK-47 assault rifles, were recovered,” said Ndlovu.
According to Banele, his brother was “hounded” out of his bedroom during the early morning raid and taken to the children’s bedroom, where he was brutally killed. His bodyguard was also killed during the violent confrontation.
“His two daughters, including a 1-year-old, saw their father begging for his life before being brutally shot dead. It’s a terrible ordeal for any child to go through,” he lamented.
Police are alleged to have locked Gasela’s wife in one of the bedrooms before the shooting.
While police have denied any sinister motive behind the killing, the Gasela family believes it was related to the deceased’s business interests.
“For now we won’t speculate, but we know that there is something sinister that led to the killing of my brother,” said Banele.
Besides being a known taxi boss, Gasela owned a security company and also had interests in the construction sector.
Phaladi Shuping, spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, said their investigators had attended the scene and were investigating the shooting . − Sowetan.
