Popular tavern owner shot dead

By Lazarus Dithagiso

VEREENIGING. – A prominent 52-year-old tavern owner was gunned down in Vereeniging over the weekend.

Sipho Msimanga (52) was shot dead with three bullets while his security guard was also wounded and subsequently admitted to hospital.

The shooting incident happened in front of Sipho’s Place, a tavern, at the corner of George and Victoria Streets in Vereeniging, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

It is said that Msimanga was about to close business and requested patrons to leave. Apparently a patron in the company of a woman demanded to leave with her but she refused.

Later, it is said, Msimanga asked the patron to leave and not bother the woman as she did not want to go with him and that was when all hell broke loose. When the patron went outside, he apparently started making foul remarks and swearing at Msimanga who followed him to the gate.

Later Msimanga is said to have gone outside of the yard and that was when two suspects accused Msimanga of having called them names.

The sound of a firearm was heard and a security guard at the tavern, Sibusiso Segwaba, apparently approached the suspects and a fight ensued before he was shot.

“Sipho tried to walk towards them to stop the fight but suddenly a hail of bullets was fired towards him,” Sedibeng Ster  was told.

Msimanga is said to have fallen to the ground, while onlookers took cover.

After the shooting, two suspects allegedly fled the scene in a motor vehicle.

Police and parademics were called but Msimanga was declared dead on the scene.

Meanwhile anger and frustration over Msimanga’s death apparently drove patrons and Vereeniging residents to avenge his death by burning two houses suspected to be the residences of the suspects in Livingstone Avenue and Victoria Street on Saturday.

About Msimanga’s death, Vereeniging Police spokesperson, Captain Fikile Funda said:

“We responded to the scene and upon our arrival we found the body of a 52-year-old African man lying outside a well known tavern. Emergency services were summoned to the scene and upon arrival they declared the man dead. Further investigation revealed that there was another victim who had also suffered gunshot wounds when the suspect opened fire. He is in critical condition at the hospital. We are investigating a case of murder and attempted murder. Our investigation is at an advanced stage and an arrest in this case is imminent.”

Msimanga’s memorial service was held on Thursday, January 24, at Sipho’s Place in Vereeniging.