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Durban – The death of a man believed to have been a dangerous hijacker and robber drew no sympathy from Durban residents on Thursday who praised the policeman who shot him after a chase by the Dog Unit into the bush alongside the M25 near KwaMashu earlier this week.
Nkululeko “Casper” Sithole, 23, was a suspect in a host of violent and high-profile crimes.
It is believed he was present when a gun was shoved into 13-year-old Matthew Daley’s mouth when the family was attacked in Durban North last month.
The gang threatened to kill the teenager unless his father pointed out the safe.
On Thursday, Matthew’s father, Mark, said his son was still shaken, but was recovering.
“It is a relief. When we did the ID parade last month, there were victims from Overport and Durban North who pointed the men out as well,” he said.
Sithole was also wanted for a robbery in Kingsley Road on the Bluff. Afterwards he was involved in a car chase with Brighton Beach police, but he escaped.
In April, he robbed a man of his car in Pietermaritzburg and, in a high-speed chase with police, raced to Durban weaving through Pinetown, then towards Westville, near the Pavilion Shopping Mall, where gang members took shots at the pursuing police.
The car was abandoned in Chesterville where the gang disappeared.
On Facebook and Twitter on Thursday there was celebration at the news of the gangster’s death.
“Unfortunately you can’t like a comment more than once otherwise I would put 1 000 000 000 000 000 likes!” said Sharyn Mowat.
On Greenwood Park’s Community Policing Forum Facebook page, resident Colwyn McDonald Kilian wrote: “Awesome! Well Done SAPS.”
Grayson Thangalan echoed his sentiments: “Well done, Casper is now a real ghost.”
On the Queensburgh Residents’ Watch Facebook page Duane Bosch was concerned that Sithole’s accomplices escaped.
“Ja, ok, but what about the other guys, I’m sure they are just as notorious as they were committing the same crimes alongside Casper.”
Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesman Moses Dlamini said an investigation into the shoot-out was under way.
This was the procedure followed when a policeman killed a suspect.
Police spokesman Vincent Mdunge said: “We cannot bar commendations from the public for excellent police work done by our officers.”
Mdunge warned that the gang was “violent” and urged the public not to approach them.
lungelo.mkamba@inl.co.za
The Mercury
