IT’S been one year and seven months of horror and anguish for a family of a Merebank man gunned down at his home in May 2024, and the family claim the police have not yet made progress in the murder case.
The family of Jodie Gopal alleges that the case has been put on ice, with the police giving them no updates.
Gopal was shot dead outside his home at around 19:00 on May 1.
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His sister Josephine Moodley said after the incident the family has been torn apart, searching for answers without success.
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“The investigating officer only came to take the statement from my father on April 28, just two days before it marked a full year since my brother was killed.
“The last time the police came to us, they told us that if they receive any information they would let us know. We have also had our hands full recently, after my mother suffered a second mild stroke from the stress,” she said.
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Moodley said they still hope the police will bring the perpetrators to book although the investigation is moving at a snail’s pace.
Gopal was shot and wounded while he was feeding his three-year-old child outside his residence with his family. He was hit by a barrage of gunfire that erupted from unknown assailants. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died.
Police spokesperson in Wentworth, Captain Mbuso Gumede, said the investigation is ongoing.
According to the latest crime statistics for the second quarter of 2025-2026 financial year, murder cases decreased by 11.5%. Between July to September 2025, KZN recorded a total of 568 murder cases involving firearms.
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