Another business owner killed in Ratanda

By Everson Luhanga

Another business owner has been gunned down in violence torn Ratanda.

Bottle store owner Fani Shabangu was shot and killed on Monday evening during load shedding. 

His devastated brother Bafana Shabangu sent a voice note in a community WhatsApp group message.

“They have killed my brother, they have killed him. They didn’t even give him a chance to be alive. My brother is dead. Fani is no more,” he said.

Ratanda is a township south of Heidelberg in Gauteng. A Ratanda Spaza Business Forum member who is in hiding and didn’t want to be named told Scrolla.Africa that the way they did it is the same as that of those who were killed last month. 

“The assassins wait for load shedding at night and target their victims,” said the forum member.

“We can’t say at this stage whether the killing is connected to the previous killings which we suspect could be linked to the battle to own spaza shops in the area. 

“Some people could be taking advantage of this while they push their agenda by killing someone. All we need is for the police to intervene and get to the bottom of these killings,” he said.

A community member in the area said they shot Fani at his bottle store and in front of his twin boys.

Early this month, Scrolla.Africa broke the story of four members of the Ratanda Spaza Business Forum who were killed in different locations in the space of two weeks. 

Ratanda residents headed by the Ratanda Spaza Business Forum leaders have driven out spaza shops owned by foreign nationals.

Since the killings, the once peaceful township has been in constant fear waiting for who could be the next victim.

Pictured above: Crime scene where Fani was gunned down on Monday night. 

Image source: Supplied