Durban - The family of Dayalan Vadivello Pillay, who was found with a gunshot wound to his mouth last Tuesday, believes his killing was planned.
Pillay, 52, who was self-employed, died under a tree near his home in Canelands, Verulam.
Lucy Naidoo, his sister, said she saw him last Tuesday morning.
"I was in the kitchen when he ran into my home. He was gasping for breath and kept looking over his shoulder. I asked him what had happened and he said nothing. He drank some water and had a few bites of a sandwich, before he left for his home to bath."
She said her sibling lived a few doors away and that his wife Radhamoney Pillay was at their daughter's home. The daughter lived in the same street. She said, later that afternoon, she saw him sitting under a tree alone, where he usually hung out with friends.
Naidoo said that at 7.10pm, everyone, including Radhamoney, heard a gunshot in the direction of the tree.
"We thought that he lit a firecracker. My son and nephew went to check on him and saw blood on his vest. They shouted for help. My son told me that they tried to shake him but he did not respond."
She said they asked him who did this to him and with whatever energy he had left, he pointed toward the end of the road. The family believed this was the direction in which the shooter fled.
"My son told me that my brother's hand dropped and that his eyes rolled back. The boys watched as his life left his body and clumps of blood gurgled out of his mouth. It was then, when they took a closer look, that they saw he was shot inside his mouth and the bullet exited the back of his head."
Naidoo said, by this time, she and Radhamoney arrived at the scene.
"I did not want to see my brother in that condition. When Radhamoney saw him, she just broke down. His mouth and his clothes were covered in blood. A neighbour called Reaction Unit South Africa for help."
Naidoo said residents told them that they saw two men walking away from Pillay after the shooting.
She said they wanted justice.
"My brother was a kind and gentle man. He ran a small business installing built-in cupboards. People in the community loved and respected him. He was not a violent person."
Naidoo said she could not understand who would want to kill him.
"We will not allow my brother's death to be another cold case, or go down as a crime statistic. This was not a robbery. Nothing was taken from him. This was a hit. These men came to do a job and that was to kill him. His life was taken right outside his home. There were children playing soccer at a nearby ground. We want the police to get to the bottom of this crime."
She said there were a number of crimes committed in Canelands last year and that the police seemed to look the other way.
"Eight days have gone by and we are still waiting for our case number. No one has followed up with the family on the matter. We have criminals living in the area. They roam free because the police are just not investigating enough. The police are aware that crime is a problem. They should be partnering with security companies to do patrols, but they do nothing and crime continues."
Her brother is survived by his four children and six grandchildren.
Pillay’s cremation was held last week.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said a case of murder was opened for investigation at the Verulam SAPS.
The Post