Lawyer, brother shot

MOHAMAD Zubair Pathon, a 30-yearold Chatsworth lawyer, was gunned down in what appears to have been a drive-by shooting on Sunday night.

According to Arif Rasool, a family friend, Pathon and his family were returning home from a wedding reception after 9pm when the incident occurred.

They were at a traffic light on the Westcliff off-ramp when a VW Polo stopped next to their vehicle and the occupant or occupants opened fire on them.

Pathon’s brother, Yusuf, a 34-yearold car modifier, was driving, while Pathon was in the front passenger seat.

Both men were injured. Pathon died on arrival at Chatsmed Hospital, while Yusuf is in critical condition.

Yusuf’s sister, wife and child who were seated at the back of the vehicle escaped unharmed.

Rasool said five shots were fired. “The family are beside themselves. For one brother to be critical and the other to be gone is devastating.

“We are praying that Yusuf makes it. He has his wife, and three children to live for. He has an 8-month-old, a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old child.

“It was really a shock to us. They had travelled in two separate cars for the function.

“They had been attending a family member’s wedding reception. Zubair’s father returned 30 minutes before the sons were due to arrive home.”

Rasool described Pathon as humble and helpful.

“He was always there for the community. His funeral was a testament to the type of person he was. It was a packed venue. He was a happy, joyful person.

“As a lawyer he would help many people pro bono. From what I know, he handled Road Accident Fund cases as well as property legal matters.

Rasool said he did not know why the brothers were targeted.

“This is a senseless crime. If they came for the car, they would never shoot at the car. It also cannot be a mistaken identity or that they marked the vehicle because Yusuf had just built that car and taken it out for the first time that day.

“Both brothers lived good lives and never joined bad company. They worked from their home in Silverglen.

“They were always together and if they left home it was with each other or with the family,” Rasool said.

Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, spokesperson for KZN SAPS, said Chatsworth police are investigating a case of murder and three counts of attempted murder.

“This follows an incident in which a man and three other people were allegedly shot at during a shooting that occurred at the Westcliff off-ramp.

“It is alleged that the victim was in a vehicle with family members when they stopped at traffic lights.

“Reports indicate that a vehicle pulled up next to them and its occupants opened fire.”