A young man tragically lost his life while trying to protect his brother from an attack.
The deceased Athandile Mafuya, 22, from Delft, went to buy beers at a local tavern while his brother, who can't be named due to safety concerns, stood waiting with a friend.
A community member close to the family says: “The heartbroken brother said he was standing by a parked car, talking to his friend when a car driven by the suspects drove over his foot.
“He said he waited for the car to stop and [the driver to] ask if he was OK or need medical attention but [they] drove on.”
The resident says the suspects then stopped and that is when the brother ran to them and asked them about the incident.
“When he got there he went to the driver’s window, instead of answering, the driver punched the brother in the face.
“A knife-wielding man then came out of the passenger side, and tried to stab him.
“Athandile heard about the fight and went to defend his brother. The suspects drove off, the deceased followed the car to get the registration [number].”
Athandile went back to the tavern, unaware that the suspects had changed cars from a white Vokswagen sedan to a Toyota Yaris.
The source adds: “They shot at the siblings, Athandile was shot near the tavern but the other brother managed to escape. Two other innocent bystanders were hit.
“I have been with the family since Sunday night and the brother is a wreck.
“He blames himself for what happened because Athandile intervened in his fight. The worst part is that his girlfriend is seven months pregnant.”
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg says the circumstances surrounding the incident on the corner of Delft Main Road and Sapelle Road is being investigated.
Twigg reports: “Police members attended the crime scene where they found the victims with gunshot wounds to their bodies.
“The 22-year-old victim was declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel, while the 47 and 48 year old (male) victims were taken to a medical facility for medical treatment.
“The motive for the attack forms part of the police investigation. The suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested.”
Delft police are investigating cases of murder and attempted murder.