A man was shot by a spaza shopkeeper for trying to defend his sister after the two got into an argument on Friday morning.
The sister, Meanna Mjadu, explained that the shopkeeper refused to sell to her.
“I went home and told my siblings. My brother decided to come with me. The shopkeeper started swearing at our late mother, and my brother told him not to involve her,” she said.
A security guard asked them to leave, so they stood outside the shop.
“The shopkeeper came out with a gun and fired at my brother. The first bullet missed, but then the shopkeeper fired three more shots, hitting him in the right arm,” Mjadu said.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Nkohli confirmed the shooting happened around 10.30am.
“A 29-year-old male said he was in an argument with a shop owner in Mganto Street, NU29 when the shop owner produced a firearm and shot him in the right arm,” Nkohli said.
Although Mjadu’s brother is recovering, the family is upset with how the community and police handled the incident.
“When we returned from the hospital, we were told the chairperson of the community structure was looking for us. He said the shop owner wanted to apologise. We asked him if he would accept an apology if this was his own child,” she said.
The family opened a case with the Motherwell police, and the shopkeeper was arrested.
Nkohli confirmed that he was charged with attempted murder and granted bail after appearing in court on Monday.
“We didn’t know he’d been granted bail until we saw him walking free on Monday when we checked on the case,” Mjadu said.
She is also disappointed that the community defended the shopkeeper instead of correcting him.
“The community said we probably provoked him. But even if that were true, does that give him the right to shoot at us? No one seems to care because we don’t have parents.”
Following the incident the shop was looted and has since been closed.
On Wednesday afternoon, residents came together from different communities to show support to the siblings, who felt let down by their own community.
Pictured above: Meanna Mjadu arguing with the shopkeeper in NU29, Motherwell, Gqeberha on Friday morning.
Source: Supplied
This article has been updated.
