Manhunt after Richards Bay Minerals manager gunned down

KwaZulu-Natal police have launched a manhunt for gunmen who shot and killed the general manager of operational services at Richards Bay Minerals (RBM), Nico Swart.

KZN police said Swart, 47, was gunned down by three unknown men at around 6.45am while driving on his way to work.

UPDATE: Mine boss killed in hail of bullets

According to Zululand Observer, more than 20 high-calibre bullets were sprayed into his vehicle on the corner of Dune Road and Kolstertkring in Meerensee. The incident took place on an extremely busy road and it resulted in a peak hour traffic jam.

In a statement, RBM confirmed Swart’s death.

“At this stage the circumstances around the shooting are unknown and the incident is being investigated by the police,”  the company said.

Swart was married with two children. He joined RBM in 2006.

It is understood that the RBM operation, which is owned by mining company Rio Tinto, has experienced several incidents of violence in recent years.

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