TRAUMATISED bus passengers thought the nightmare was over when their driver managed to drive away from people who were shooting outside the bus.
And then a passenger in the bus, believed to have been the target, stood up, took out a gun and shot dead a passenger who was sitting next to him.
He then went to the bus driver and ordered him to drive faster.
As the drama unfolded on Friday evening, passengers the bus to Umlazi from Durban were all shocked.
One of them was a 60-year-old madala who was about to get out of the bus when the shooting started.
“It has been two days since the incident happened, but I am still struggling to sleep.
“I keep having constant flashbacks of what happened. I almost got killed for something I knew nothing about.”
The madala said the bus was approaching the shopping centre at R section when unknown gunmen, standing a few metres away from the bus, started shooting.
“Even though we did not know who they were, we all suspected they were targeting the man who later pulled out the gun and shot the passenger.
“Luckily, nobody was killed but a few people sustained injuries.
The driver sped off and I could get off at my bus stop,” the madala said.
He said as the bus was travelling towards M section a squabble erupted.
“The man we believe was being targeted by the gunmen stood up from his seat and drew a gun. He pointed it at a passenger who was sitting next to him and accused him of spying on him.
He then shot him dead.”
The victim was 29-year-old Fundile Mthembu. “The killer got off the bus at M section and fled on foot,” he said.
Fundile’s family was not available for comment. Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed the incident.
She said charges of murder and attempted murder were opened at Umlazi Police Station.
“The motive for the shooting is still unknown and no arrests have been made yet,” she said.
