Johannesburg - Crime experts believe that South Africa is fast becoming a country with the highest rate of planned assassinations, amid reports that prominent people have been killed in suspected hits.
Gauteng police are investigating a double murder case after Gupta and Bosasa liquidator Cloete Murray and his son Tom Murray were shot dead in a suspected hit in Midrand at the weekend.
Murray, a professional insolvency practitioner who was reported to have been working on high-profile cases, and his son, a legal adviser, were travelling together when their vehicle was shot at on Saturday afternoon.
Tom died at the scene, while his father was transferred to a hospital in Sunninghill after being shot twice in the head. Murray died in the hospital yesterday morning after succumbing to his injuries.
Crime activist Yusuf Abramjee said the two were travelling in a white Toyota Prado on the N1 north (from Joburg to Pretoria), apparently on their way home.
“While they were driving, gunmen came alongside their car and opened fire; the vehicle pulled off to the side. The son was in the passenger seat; he died immediately, and I’m told that Murray was shot in the head twice. Murray was involved in a number of high-profile liquidations, including those of Bosasa, a number of Gupta companies, and other cases,” added Abramjee.
He said Murrray was on record as being a marked man. During a dispute last year at the Master’s Office in Pretoria, where two officials were suspended, he said there was an attempt to get rid of him and he was worried.
“It appears that this incident was a hit (on) him, and in the mix of it all, his son got shot dead in broad daylight on South Africa’s busiest freeway,” said Abramjee.
Gauteng Provincial SAPS spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello confirmed that on Saturday, two men (reportedly a father and son) were travelling together when their vehicle was shot at.
“The second victim in Saturday’s shooting at Midrand succumbed to his injuries earlier yesterday morning. The police will now be investigating two counts of murder,” said Sello.
She said that the circumstances that led to the incident are unknown at this stage.
Sello said police urged anyone, who may have information that can assist in their investigations, to contact the Crime Stop Line at 08600 10111 or anonymously report tip-offs on MySaps.
Chad Thomas, a financial and organised crime investigator from IRS Forensic Investigations, said that targeted killings were out of control.
“Murder for hire, contract killings, organised hits – whatever you want to call the targeted killings taking place in South Africa, one thing is clear – the situation is out of control and anyone can be targeted. Whether it’s revenge killings, politically-motivated killings, or killings to silence whistle-blowers and investigators, the problem has escalated to the point that we are fast becoming the country with the highest rate of well-planned, well-executed assassinations,” said Thomas.
He said crime intelligence and specialised law enforcement agencies need the funding and capacity to allow them to investigate cases. “If not, we will reach failed state status in the not-to-odistant future,” said Thomas.
In releasing his quarter-three crime stats between October and December crime stats, SAPS Gauteng provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela expressed concern about increased crime levels and violent crimes using firearms.
“The total number of counts for the period under review is 15 988, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition is 1 048,” Mawela said.
Earlier this year, Police Minister Bheki Cele said murders, where firearms were used, had increased.
Cele said that gun violence was problematic and posed a serious threat to lives and livelihoods.
“Out of the 7 555 people murdered in the three months of reporting, 3 144 were killed with a firearm, and 2 498 with other weapons such as knives, sharp and blunt instruments, bricks, and in many cases, bare hands,” Cele said.
The Star