By Bongekile Gumede
The Ismail family is mourning the death of their youngest brother, 62-year-old Rafique Ismail, who was shot and killed at the bottom corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Galaway Road on Saturday, 4 June.
According to the family, events leading up to the murder are unknown, however, the vehicle he was driving was found 60 metres away from where the bullet shells were found and it is unknown how the car ended up crashing into an embarkment.
Faruk Ismail, Rafique’s older brother, said: “On the evening of the incident, I received a call from the Mayville SAPS requesting that I come to the accident scene and identify the car and the driver as the registration is in my name. When I got to the scene, it was indeed my brother in the car and at that moment he was already deceased. It was established that he had just left my sister’s house at around 7pm or 8pm and was taking some food to his friend who lives at the Bridgefort Flats, opposite the Ahmed Alkhadi Hospital. That is where the bullet shells were also found.”
He said it was really strange how he ended up at the end of the street and how the security guard at the flats did not see what had happened. “The car keys were also missing from the ignition and he suffered two bullet wounds, one to the stomach. However, three shells were found on the scene. Also at the scene, the police did not allow me to touch him and I also had to wait three hours before the mortuary van came to pick up his lifeless body which was also traumatic,” said Faruk.
He said his brother was a humble man and was harmless. “He was the youngest of four siblings and had worked in the family business for almost 40 years and was well known to the community of Sydenham and Overport. His passing has left a great void in the business and in our lives as his family. What also worries us is that since Saturday, we have never heard from the investigating officer and we are hoping that the police bring the suspects to book,” said Faruk.
Ismail’s shooting comes after two recent brutal and fatal shooting incidents in Overport and Berea, also involving Sydenham residents. A few weeks ago, Durban businessman and football club owner, Zeyn Mooideen, was assassinated in front of his family and his body was left riddled with bullets a few metres away from the Tills Crescent Sports Ground on Felix Dlamini Road, near Alpha Pharmacy.
Revealed on CCTV footage, three shooters driving a white VW fired shots at him, however, to date no arrests have been made since his murder.
Two weeks before Mooideen’s assassination, his neighbour was also killed by unknown suspects who had followed him from his house and fired shots at him while he was driving in the Greyville area. All three cases are being investigated by Mayville SAPS and no arrests have been made thus far. Ismail’s family said they are hoping for the law to take its course and for whoever is responsible to face the mighty arm of the law.
