Another fatal shooting in crime-ridden Lilianton

A 37-year-old man was shot dead after being ambushed by three gunmen while standing outside his car, which was parked on a roadside in Lilianton. The location is next to where two Boksburg North police officers were recently shot and killed.

This time the attack resulted in a shootout with police, who swiftly sprang into action after hearing the gunshots and screams for help.
Allegations are that the three gunmen were on a mission to rob the victims and hijack the car when they fatally shot the driver.

According to the Boksburg North SAPS spokesperson, Sergeant Justice Ramaube, the victim (Bongani Murumo), who was driving a VW Polo, parked his car on the roadside (corner of Field and Duncan roads), as the passenger wanted to answer the call of nature.

Just after the passenger stepped out of the car, three men approached the driver and after a brief conversation one of the robbers pulled out a gun and demanded that the driver hand over his cellphone.
The gunman pulled the trigger and two bullets hit the victim.

The desperate passenger, a woman, started screaming for help as the thugs rummaged through the victim’s clothing and the car.

“Police officers, who were conducting crime prevention duties, responded and noticed two men leaning against the white VW Polo.
“The gunmen started to run towards the approaching police vehicle and apparently after noticing that it was the police, opened fire. The officers retaliated with gunfire and the suspects changed direction and ran towards a nearby petrol station.
“As they were crossing Main Reef Road towards Angelo informal settlement, one of the suspects fell as he had been wounded. He was arrested and taken to hospital where he remains under police guard.

“Community members then informed the police of an injured man in the informal settlement. Officers found the man and identified him as one of the suspects. It appears he may have also suffered gunshot wounds during the shootout with police. Paramedics certified him dead.
“The third suspect, believed to be the one who pulled the trigger, is still at large,” explained Ramaube.
“He is considered to be a serious threat to the public.”

Police are investigating a case of murder and armed robbery, and an investigation will be conducted to check if the men are not linked to other criminal activities reported in the immediate vicinity and other areas.

Living in fear
Concerned residents of the informal settlement and the business precinct on Main Reef Road stated that this is not an isolated case but one of a series of crimes that have left many residents, including business operators, living in fear of being attacked.

“The same modus operandi has been used in a series of hijackings and armed robberies outside businesses in the vicinity of Main Reef and Field roads.
“Some of the victims were shot dead by a gang of about three men,” said one of the residents, who asked to remain anonymous.
This sentiment was also echoed by the business operators and community leaders in the area.

It was reported that in previous cases the victims were accosted when they returned to their vehicles in parking areas, threatened at gunpoint and robbed of their belongings, or abducted in their vehicles and taken to a secluded location where they were robbed.
“Our businesses are also not spared from these robberies. We were robbed several times and the ATM around the corner was also recently bombed.
“We reported all these cases, but we don’t see any difference. It’s like the police are not sure what to do about the situation and I have even stopped reporting it as it’s pointless,” said one of the shopowners.

Information sharing
The new Boksburg SAPS station commander, Colonel Matshedeso Mbele, admitted that the area in the vicinity of Main Reef Road, which borders the Boksburg and Boksburg North police precincts, remains problematic and has a high rate of violent gun-related crimes.

She said her officers and additional members from various police units are dealing with some of these cases in the identified hotspots, however, the success of these initiatives is dependent on a good police-community relationship, which involves information sharing.
“We are doing our best to help the community. We urge residents to also support us by reporting any suspicious activities,” pleaded Mbele.

During a recent interview with the Boksburg Advertiser, the acting provincial police commissioner, Major General Thomas Mthombeni, stated that the province has launched its annual festive season operation to ensure that police operations and visibility are ramped up, particularly in crime hotspots.
“More officers will be deployed on the ground, particularly in the hotspots, which include shopping malls,” said Mthombeni.

Also Read: Slain Boksburg North officers remembered