Neighbours of slain Noem My Skollie actor David “Gums” Manuel have shed light on the tragic sequence of events culminating in his murder.
The Gugulethu man was shot with his best friend Alfonso Fisher on 8 October. Police believe he was killed for a life insurance policy.
A Gugs resident said this was not the first attempt on Gums’ life.
The source tells the Daily Voice: “Last year, two men went into his home and beat him to a pulp, and he was admitted to hospital where he spent two months.
“We believe the aim was to kill him but he survived.”
“On 8 October around 10pm, unknown suspects forced their way into the house and a lot of gunshots went off.
“People went to see what had happened.
“When I went to the scene, one of the neighbours was carrying him to a car and they rushed him to hospital and Alfonso was already dead. And in the morning we heard that he had died.”
After a month-long investigation, police arrested two siblings. The brother and sister live across the street from David.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said: “The investigation revealed that life insurance policies were taken out by family members which was identified as a possible motive.”
On Tuesday, the suspects - aged between 30 and 40 - appeared in the Athlone Magistrates Court on charges of murder and fraud.
Another resident reveals: “After the shooting, one of the suspects, who is a lecturer, went to identify the body [David’s] at the morgue.
“They arranged the funeral. They bought 10kg of samp and 10kg of chicken. At the time we didn’t know anything about the policy.”
David was born in NY 141 but ended up on the streets in the city centre.
The neighbour adds: “His mom drank a lot and didn’t take care of him and at the age of 9, he left his home.
“He was on the streets where he met Alfonso, they became best friends, they were in and out of jail together. And they would come to Gugulethu and when they disappeared we knew they were in jail.
“They have never been arrested for violent crimes, but for petty theft. David was mostly charged with breaking into cars.”
She described David as someone who was kind and helpful.
“He was very humble, he loved joking around. We were very proud of him when we saw him in movies.
“After three movies, he was still poor. They never paid him what he deserved. He ate at soup kitchens, and his neighbours also gave him food.
“He would wash people’s wheelie bins to make a buck.”
She says David leaves behind two children, a 10-year-old girl and a boy, 6, who are living in Heideveld with family.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za