South Durban’s top 5 hard-hitting stories for 2022

IT has been a tough year for many families living in the South Durban area. Over the past year, some have lost their loved ones, including family breadwinners, due to crime, while others have lost their homes, belongings and family members in house fires. 

Here are some of the hard-hitting stories that have made headlines in 2022: 

ONE: Family want justice for slain father of 5

Collin Pillay (52), a tow-truck driver, was shot in the head while attending an accident scene on the N2 freeway near the old Durban International Airport on September 2.

Kyle van Reenen, the spokesperson for Emer-G-Med, said paramedics arrived on the scene to find a man with fatal gunshot injuries. Pillay was declared dead on arrival of paramedics.

Police said a case of murder was being investigated. 

Brenda Hendricks, Pillay’s elder sister, said he was a jovial and hardworking person. She said Pillay, who was married and a father of five sons, was not a violent person but instead a man with a heart of gold.

She said Pillay was also his family’s breadwinner, and that they wanted justice. 

“Who gave them the right to take his life? Who gives any person the right to kill another human – are they God? We want those responsible to face the law and be punished for their actions. We have been robbed of a husband, father and brother,” she said at the time. 

Hendricks said Pillay was active in the community, always helping those in need, and he did so through his various initiatives such as providing food and hampers, among other things. 

There have not been any arrests. 

TWO: Dream home gutted

A MONTCLAIR family was forced to flee with just the clothes on their backs, and memories, as a fire gutted their dream home in Harbour View Avenue, on September 19.

Kyle Oliver (35), his wife, Pamela (36), their two children, Ezra Matthew (3) and Amy Rachel (2), as well their live-in helper, managed to escape unharmed, but they watched as their five-bedroom house went up in flames due to an electrical fault.

The couple said that September 7 marked a year since they had moved in.

Pamela said they had recently started renovation on the over-60-year-old home.

“We started after the floods in April caused some damage. We were changing the windows from wooden frames to aluminium, as well putting in new roofing, and we were going to put new flooring in some parts of the house. I loved every inch of the house – it was old and had a rustic feel, including the laminated wooden floors, but sadly, it’s also the reason the fire spread so rapidly,” she said at the time. 

Kyle said they have had to find other accommodation as it could take between four to 12 months before the house will be rebuilt,” he said.

THREE:  Police hunt alleged gangster wanted for murder 

Myron Snyman (40), the nephew of Ward 68 councillor Aubrey Snyman, was seated in the bedroom of a friend’s house in Wolraad Road on October 1, at about 14:00, when the suspect allegedly forcefully entered the premises.

Captain Mbuso Gumede, spokesperson for the Wentworth police station, said the suspect walked to the room where the father of one was seated, and without uttering a word, drew a firearm and shot him once.

“The bullet struck him in the upper region of the chest. He was certified dead at the scene by paramedics. Attempts were made to trace the suspect, with negative results, however, informers were tasked to contact the police if the suspect was seen,” Gumede said.

Aubrey said the ongoing shootings have always been close to home, as he has lived in Wentworth for the past 62 years. Although the gang-related shooting has claimed the life of his nephew, it is just as traumatising as losing any other community member.

Aubrey said numerous meetings, including one on October 2, to address the turf war and shootings, were held.

“I sympathise with all those who have been subjected to violence and have lost loved ones. We know that the community is traumatised, and we pray for peace, once again, in Wentworth,” Aubrey said at the time. 

Four: A brother’s anguish – five-year-old sister burns to death

SPHUMELELE Mtshali (5) died after a fire engulfed her family’s home on Benson Road in Montclair on October 5.

Her brother, Lindokuhle Dlamini (19), said the family had been asleep when he was awoken by the smell of smoke at around 23:00.

Dlamini said he rushed to his mother’s bedroom to alert her. He lived with his mother, Nomthandazo Dlamini, and Sphumelele on the upper level of the home, which had a separate entrance, while two other families rented the lower level.

Dlamini said he had managed to help his mother get out of the house, but as he attempted to go back inside to get Sphumelele, the house was engulfed in flames within seconds. 

“I was unable to save my sister,” he said at the time.

Dlamini said he and Sphumelele shared a close bond and were inseparable. 

He said Sphumelele attended a crèche and was very smart. She was also looking forward to going to primary school in the new year. 

FIVE: Bashful barber’s brutal killing

A WEEK after he was reported missing, a well-known Pakistani national, who had been allegedly kidnapped and tortured, was left for dead at a hospital.

Merebank resident and barber Bassat Ali (22), who is believed to have shared a home with his alleged killer, was stabbed multiple times in his chest and back, and succumbed to his injuries on arrival at Wentworth Hospital on October 24.

Ali’s employer, Azeem Munawer (41), a Pakistan national who owned a number of salons in the Merebank Shopping Centre, was arrested by members of the Wentworth police on the same day.

Wentworth police spokesperson Captain Mbuso Gumede, said officers from the Vispol unit received reports of a man being stabbed on Ajmer Road at about 19:40. He said that on arrival, the officers were informed that Ali had already been transported to the hospital. 

According to Wentworth police, Munawer, who was arrested that same evening, had accused Ali of stealing a large amount of cash.

Munawer, who was charged with murder and appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court, is currently out on bail. 

Ali’s clients described him as a humble young man with a beautiful soul, who came to South Africa in search of a better life.

DID YOU KNOW?

Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics. To receive news via our Telegram group, send a WhatsApp message to 084 418 2286.

For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram.