By Bongekile Gumede
Alleged drug kingpin, Ravi Chetty, was shot dead while driving along Randles Road on Thursday, 30 June. His car stopped just outside Shifa Private Hospital after he was shot at 12 times, with eight bullets penetrating the vehicle.
Sydenham Police and security personnel were called to the scene just after the incident happened and the road was cordoned off, resulting in traffic being diverted to other routes as the crime scene investigators assessed the scene. Chetty’s lifeless body was left inside the car for over two hours during this time and scores of people stood at George Hill Park, Sydenham, while Shifa Private Hospital staff stood outside the hospital in attempts to see what had happened.
According to a bystander and nearby resident, bursts of gunshots were heard from inside his house which did not sound like those of a normal firearm. “All we heard were loud bangs of gunshots and we got scared to even look to see what was happening. Shootings in the Sydenham area happen all the time but these gunshot sounds were different, seemingly those of a very big machine gun,” said the resident.
Sydenham SAPS Communications Officer, Constable Busi Phungula, said: “According to the information received, the deceased was with three other occupants in the vehicle and one of the three was shot on the right shoulder and was conveyed to King Dinizulu Hospital by ambulance. The deceased was seated on the front seat, behind the steering wheel, whereas the injured victim was seated in front next to the deceased. The two uninjured passengers were seated in the back.”
She said the wounds sustained by the deceased will be ascertained when the LCRC and mortuary personnel are in attendance.
“What was also discovered is that inside the vehicle the deceased was in, were two firearms – a rifle and a pistol. The allegations are that the deceased and his other occupants were shot at by a white VW Polo which first drove past them and made a U-turn and on its return, gunshots ensued which hit both front-seated passengers, fatally wounding the deceased. This is being investigated by the police,” said Cst Phungula.
Later in the evening, it was reported that the situation at Sydenham Heights and the Sydenham area was highly volatile following Chetty’s shooting and residents and motorists were warned to avoid the area. Patrollers and emergency services were also urged to request back-up if they were attending scenes in the area.
As per others sources, Chetty’s gang was already informed of the shooting and were on their way to find the shooters and seek revenge. Cst Phungula confirmed that another shooting was reported to the SAPS, however, no fatalities or injuries were reported.
This was not the first time that the alleged kingpin had been shot at. In 2019, Chetty was shot at while driving on the M13 in Westville, surviving the apparent hit on his life after one bullet from 13 shots hit the Sydenham taxi owner’s arm. In this incident, the suspects were not caught as they had allegedly run into a nearby bush.
In 2011, two of three men were sentenced by the Durban Regional Court for attempted murder as well as possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition after they attempted to shoot and kill Chetty in a parking lot at Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World. The men were nabbed by security guards when they tried to escape from the scene.
