ATTEMPTED HIJACK OF HEARSE WITH BODY

WILD WEST SHOOT-OUT IN THE STREETS OF CLAIRWOOD

AN ARMED robbery in Clairwood which turned into a wild west type shoot-out then took a bizarre twist when fleeing robbers attempted to hijack a hearse to make their getaway.

Pandemonium broke out at around 10am on Friday morning when the owner of Mansoor Wholesalers received a telephone call that his business in Sirdar Road was being robbed.

Mohammed Mansoor, 35, whose home is a few metres down the road, said he received a call from a staff member and grabbed his firearm and ran to the shop.

“The call was muffled but my instinct said something was wrong.”

Mansoor said when he arrived at the shop he noticed a Hyundai van parked outside the shop with bin bags in the back.

“The driver looked suspicious and as I approached the shop he drove off.

“When I entered the shop seven men had customers and staff at gunpoint.

“They had been emptying cigarettes, airtime and cash into the bags.

“I immediately opened fire and when they returned fire, I ran into my neighbours yard to take cover behind the wall.”

Mansoor said a gunbattle between him and the robbers ensued.

“The robbers panicked when they noticed their getaway vehicle had left them and they began running on foot.

“I ran to my house to get a second magazine and jumped into my vehicle and gave chase.”

Mansoor said he drove through Amber Lane, Houghton Road and Pine Road chasing the men when he finally spotted a police van.

“The suspects split and I abandoned my vehicle and began chasing one of them into South Coast Road, but he got away.”

Meanwhile, Lutchmanna Govender, 44, who is a driver for Mariannhill Funeral Services, had been taking a body to a home when he heard gunfire.

Said Govender: “After hearing gunshots I saw four guys pointing a firearm at my window and demanding I pull over. I stopped the vehicle and jumped off. They tried to drive the hearse but were unable to select the gears. They forced me back into the hearse but I begged them to let me go.”

Govender said he managed to flee on foot and the robbers eventually abandoned the hearse.

“The family of the deceased woman were worried and made numerous calls to the funeral parlour. I was shaken after the incident but we continued with the funeral arrangements.”

One of the robbers, Snakhokonke Mkhize, 33, appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday while another accused is critical in hospital. Five men are still on the run. Mansoor said Indian South Africans were soft targets and he was not prepared to sit back.

Govender said he felt lucky to be alive and it was sad that people had no respect for the dead anymore.