Relief and a sense of justice have come to the Suleman family after a two-year ordeal, with an arrest recently made in connection with the death of Phoenix taxi owner, Mohamad Raffik Suleman.
Suleman, a respected figure in the taxi industry for 30 years, was shot and killed outside his home on 27 September 2023. His daughter, Firdaus Suleman, shared that her father was shot after an incident with a local drug dealer. She described her father as a fair man who did not carry weapons. “My father was not a confrontational man. Many couldn’t stand that. My father was shot in his front yard,” she said.
Firdaus detailed the challenges the family initially faced, stating they had “no success” with the local police for nearly six months. She recalled an incident where one of the officers accidentally called her sister late at night while intoxicated. “When my sister questioned the officer, he cut the call,” she said. “This made me fight even harder.” Firdaus said that her father was well-loved and respected by many in the community. “Our family friends and street people always said my father tried to rehabilitate them and took care of them. In unison, they all stood outside the court with placards and pleaded for no bail.”
The family took the case to the provincial level, where they met Major-General Mgobhozi and his team. Firdaus said the team gave her hope because they understood her emotions. “The community assisted and one lead led to the next. Our family is so thankful,” she said. Despite being “discouraged many times by family and friends saying this case will go nowhere,” Firdaus remained determined. “I guess you just don’t give up on those you love. I was not ready to walk away from the matter and give up on my father.”
With the community’s help, an ID parade three weeks ago led to the identification and arrest of a suspect. KZN SAPS spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said: “On 25 July, the police had arrested a 25-year old suspect in connection with the murder of a 53-year-old man, who was allegedly shot and killed at his place of residence in the Caneside area in Phoenix on 8 September 2023. The suspect appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 28 July and was remanded in custody pending his formal bail application on Friday, 15 August.”
National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson, stated that the case was further adjourned to 21 August, when the bail application would be addressed.
