A Tongaat businessman, Ashver Sukwa, has been murdered in a robbery allegedly by his truck driver and three accomplices in the early hours of Saturday morning, 31 October 2020, first responder Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) reported.
35-year-old Sukwa was found wrapped in a blanket with 35 stab wounds to his body while his 67-years-old father was locked in a cold room at their Saibs Place residence in Fairbreeze, Tongaat in the north of Durban.
RUSA reported that security personnel were called in at 04h45 by a passerby who noticed the back door and gate to the house opened.
The man and other employees also noticed blood on the floor and that the house had been ransacked after they looked through a window.
“An elderly victim was found in the kitchen. His clothing was covered in blood. He had been stabbed at least four times,” said Pram Balram of RUSA.
“He informed Officers that he and his son operated a fruit and vegetable distribution business from the property. This morning he opened up for one of his employees who was expected to transport a load of bananas to the market. His employee, a South African national with three other men held him up and forced him into the warehouse. They repeatedly stabbed and assaulted him before locking him in a cold room in the warehouse. After some time the victim managed to free himself and make his way back into the home. The suspects had already fled,” added Balram.
The elderly man did not know where his son was and assumed he had gone after the robbers since his gun was missing from the safe.
Balram said that his officers searched the house and found the man’s son. He was found on the floor wrapped in a bedsheet and blanket that was soaked with blood.
“Reaction Officers unwrapped him so Paramedics could work on saving his life, however, it discovered that he was stabbed at least 35 times and was declared deceased a short while later,” said Balram.
The motive for the murders is believed to be robbery. The entire home was ransacked and two safes were found opened. A firearm is suspected to be stolen.
The elderly victim was transported to the hospital for medical attention.
Police were on scene and investigating further.
