Murder of Feroz Khan’s uncle-in-law ‘can’t be a coincidence’

Preggy Padayachee was killed on the R21 on Monday evening - the night before Feroz Khan was due to testify at the Madlanga commission The fatal shooting of the uncle-in-law of former Crime Intelligence deputy head Feroz Khan has raised suspicion. Preggy Padayachee was killed while on the R21 highway on Monday evening. Padayachee’s murder ‘can’t be a coincidence’ Criminologist and criminal profiler Dr Pixie du Toit said the fact that the deceased was a relative of Khan cannot be a coincidence. “The timing of the events – when the car broke down, when help arrived and when the shooting took place – raises questions. I am of the opinion that this was likely a targeted attack. I certainly hope our country has not reached a state where shootings targeting motorists happen completely out of the blue,” she added. Dark underworld Portfolio Committee on Police Chairperson Ian Cameron said Padayachee’s murder must be urgently investigated. Khan was meant to appear before the Madlanga commission on Tuesday morning. His testimony was postponed after Padayachee’s death. “Saps and the Hawks must establish whether the shooting was connected in any way to Feroz Khan, his expected testimony, or matters before the Madlanga commission,” he added. Cameron said Khan should not suddenly be sanitised because he was allegedly targeted. “He was dismissed from Saps, faces serious criminal allegations and is himself under scrutiny before the commission. Taken together, these events expose the dark underworld surrounding these matters, where senior police figures, criminal allegations and deadly violence increasingly intersect,” he added. Professor Witness Maluleka, Criminology and Criminal Justice Head of Department at the University of Limpopo, said it is clear that South African criminals often use violence as a last resort for solving personal disputes in South Africa. “This is becoming a norm and a worrying cause. Violence is used to silence others, as well as conceal evidence; this might be profitable for them, but the targeted individuals are law-abiding citizens at times. Innocent souls are lost for the sake of selfish gratification,” he said. South Africans are ‘easy targets’ Criminal law expert Cornelia van Graan said firearm crimes are escalating in the country. “The Saps must urgently invest in strategies to curb gun violence. South Africa has become unsafe, and without proper and targeted actions from the Saps, South African citizens are open and easy targets for violent crime,” she added. Van Graan said that while we have seen many arrests in recent months, we still have not seen prosecutions yet. “Without a properly functioning criminal justice system, arrests remain futile,” she said. Professor and research associate at the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Limpopo, Anthony Minnaar, added that the web of police corruption – and its attendant nepotism involving family members – continues to be exposed by the Madlanga commission in ever-widening circles of complicity. The South African Police Service is investigating a case of murder and attempted murder following a shooting of Padayachee. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the motive for the shooting is currently unknown, and no arrests have been made at this stage. “According to preliminary information, a driver travelling in a Fiat reportedly experienced a breakdown and contacted a friend for assistance. The friend arrived at the scene accompanied by two other people. As they were attending to the vehicle, shots were fired at them. “The driver attempted to evade the gunfire but lost control of the vehicle, which collided with a barrier. The driver sustained fatal injuries and was declared dead at the scene. One passenger sustained a gunshot wound and was transported to hospital for medical treatment, while the third occupant managed to escape unharmed,” she explained.