A woman who had a shop in her home in Felix was allegedly brutally murdered for refusing protection money. in Bekumwandle, near Manzimtoti. It appears that the deceased, Mrs Mantungunyane Ndelu (60), KaMaphumulo, was shot by an unknown person on Tuesday night.
A source close to the matter said that as soon as this incident happened, the deceased had opened up to some people telling them that he was worried as there have been men who came by their last name who are known for seeking protection money from people to inform the deceased that he will have to start now and not pay the money paid by others. It is said that money is given out every month by businessmen in different fields to this family.
The source said that the deceased told them that he would not be able to do that and he does not see the need for him to pay the money since he has been selling for a long time but it has never been broken into even once. The deceased, who was a widow, had been selling for about 10 years.
It is also said that the deceased told them that he will not even be able to pay the amount he said because it is too much, rather than the profit he is making in his shop.
“He was talking about this to people close to him, but they didn’t tell them that this is an issue that could end up being a problem since he was killed in such a brutal way,” he said.
He continued to cry bitterly that a woman had never been killed in this way. He said that a man came to the deceased pretending to be someone who was going to buy, after that he opened fire with a lot of bullets and shot him in the forehead.
”Just on the forehead it is said that you are done, this thing is very painful. The worst thing is that these people really have the courage to shoot and kill a woman because they want to suck her blood. What they have done is very bad and it is very painful,” he said as he greeted us.
He said he wishes that the Commissioner of Police in KwaZulu-Natal, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, does not immediately act on the demand for the blood of other people for money to protect them.
The local chief, Mr. Gengqele Maphumulo, said they had heard about the incident and confirmed that it had indeed happened. Maphumulo lamented the brutality of the killers.
“We are all confused because this person is really right and the story is being told that he was killed by shooting,” he said.
A family member contacted by Solezwe admitted that they were in the water but stopped commenting on the matter.
The family whose name always comes up when it comes to charging people money for the protection of entrepreneurs in the south of Thekwini has always distanced itself from these allegations and mentioned that their name is being used.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, confirmed the incident. He said the KwaMakhutha police are investigating the case after a 60-year-old woman was shot dead.
“It is reported that this woman was in her shop selling when someone came and shot her,” he said.