Murdered Westville businessman remembered as generous and selfless ahead of Ulundi funeral
Westville civil engineer and businessman Sbonelo Mkhwanazi who was gunned down in an ambush at a busy Westville intersection earlier this week will be laid to rest in his hometown of Ulundi on Sunday.
Image: Facebook
The 36-year-old civil engineer and businessman, Sbonelo Mkhwanazi, who was shot dead in a brazen attack in a busy part of Westville on Tuesday, will be laid to rest on Sunday in his hometown of Ulundi in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Mkhwanazi, a Westville resident, was gunned down in a hail of bullets when two armed men allegedly ambushed him near Westville Mall. Witnesses said the attackers emerged from a white Toyota Land Cruiser and opened fire on his grey Porsche Cayenne GTS while he was waiting for the lights to turn green at the busy intersection of Buckingham Terrace and Menston Road.
One onlooker claimed that a birthday cake, believed to be intended for a child, was visible inside the vehicle at the time of the attack; a detail that has deepened the shock surrounding the killing.
According to Westville South African Police Service (SAPS) communications officer Sergeant Khathi, Mkhwanazi had just left a nearby shopping centre when the attack occurred.
“A white Toyota Land Cruiser appeared, and two black males exited the vehicle and opened fire. At the scene, 23 AK-47 cartridges were found,” said Khathi.
The scene of the crime where 36-year-old Sbonelo Mkhwanazi, a Westville businessman was shot dead by assailants who alighted from a white Toyota Land Cruiser at the corner of Buckingham Terrace and Menstone Road near the Westville Mall on Tuesday.
Image: ALS Paramedics
Police have since launched a full-scale investigation into the murder and are working to establish a motive.
Images of the bullet-riddled luxury SUV circulated widely on social media, prompting an outpouring of tributes. Friends, acquaintances and community members described Mkhwanazi as a selfless and generous individual who frequently assisted people in need.
A close friend, who said they had known him since primary school, shared screenshots of what they described as their final conversation, in which Mkhwanazi was offering to make a donation. According to those who knew him, such gestures were common, with the businessman reportedly helping schoolchildren with uniforms and shoes, assisting elderly residents with wheelchairs and groceries, and supporting families struggling to cover funeral costs.
Mkhwanazi is survived by his wife and children.
ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said emergency services received multiple distress calls reporting the shooting.
“Paramedics arrived on the scene and found members of the South African Police Service already in attendance. They were shown a vehicle that had been shot multiple times,” he said.
The Westville Community Policing Forum (CPF) expressed deep concern over the incident, describing it as a shocking act of violence in a busy public area. The CPF extended condolences to the family and urged residents and businesses to review CCTV footage and report any suspicious activity that could assist investigators.
Police have appealed to members of the public with information to come forward as investigations continue.