Businessmen shot dead

THE KwaZulu-Natal Pakistan Association is concerned about the safety of their nationals in South Africa after the death of two businessmen in the city centre last Wednesday.

Sohail Amal and Mudassir Iqbal from North Beach owned Shabir Motors. They were shot multiple times and died at their showroom in Hunter Street.

Zafar Mehdi, the chairperson of the association, said the men, who were from Pakistan, had been running the showroom for about nine years.

“We are not sure about the motive for the killings. As an association, we are concerned about the safety of our nationals in the country. This is one of many incidents whereby our nationals have been killed.

“These men left their country to come to South Africa to set up their business. Their aim was to support their families back in Pakistan.”

Mehdi said their deaths were a loss to the South African economy.

“Their showroom employed local people and this helped combat South Africa’s high unemployment rate. Their deaths are not only going to impact their families but the families of the people they employed.

“Crime has a ripple effect. Police and the justice system in the country need to ensure harsh sentences are handed to criminals.”

He said their bodies were sent to Pakistan on Thursday for burial.

Garrith Jamieson, the director of ALS Paramedics, said when his team arrived at the scene, they found that Amal and Iqbal had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.

“They were lying just metres apart. Paramedics assessed the men and due to their injuries, there was nothing more that paramedics could do for them. They were declared deceased on the scene.”

Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala, a provincial police spokesperson, said: “Durban Central police are investigating charges of murder after two men were shot and killed by unknown suspects on September 13 at the corner of Hunter and Florence Nzama streets. The motive for the killing is unknown.”