Rangasamy “Brian” Govender, 75, of Glen Terrace, was in his bakkie with his friend Poobal Govender on Nelson Mandela Street.

They were speaking to Msya Vezi, the chairperson of the Umzinto Taxi Association, and his relative.

Rangasamy’s son, Collin, said witnesses told him two gunmen opened fire from the back of a bakkie.

Rangasamy and Vezi were both shot.

Vezi died at the scene while Rangasamy died enroute to a clinic.

Poobal hid for cover and was unharmed.

Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed these week two cases of murder and attempted murder were opened. By Friday no arrests had been made.

Said Collin: “My father was shot on the right side of his upper body. Despite this, he tried to drive to the nearest clinic, but he died near an informal settlement.”

Collin believes the gunmen wanted to kill Vezi and his dad was caught in the crossfire.

“My dad did not have a problem with anyone in the industry. The gunmen were brazen. They were young and did not wear masks.”

Collin added that his father was the first Indian station commander at the Umzinto SAPS.

“My dad was born and raised in the Renishaw Barracks on the South Coast. He walked 10km to school in Park Rynie. After completing Standard6, he had to leave school to help out at home.”

Govender said his father was the fourth-born of eight children. “He did odd jobs and then worked at a retail store in Scottburgh. With some of the money he earned, he got his car licence and secured a job as a tractor driver.”

In 1964, he joined the police force.

“He was passionate about helping the community. During this time, becoming a policeman was a lucrative career. He was first a constable and, with hard work, he moved up the ranks to being appointed the station commander in 1991.”

He retired four years later.

“After retirement, he bought two taxis. One was run in Scottburgh and the other in Durban. My father was a disciplinarian. With him, right was right and wrong was wrong. There was no in-between. He raised my siblings and I like this, but he also showed us love and care.”

His funeral was held at the Clare Estate Crematorium on Sunday.

Vezi’s funeral will be held later this week.

Sifiso Shangase, the spokesperson for the South African National Taxi Council in KZN, said: “We believe this was a hit on Msya. He did not tolerate financial mismanagement and did everything by the book. Some people did not like this. We are appealing to anyone with information on the incident to call the police.”

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