Alleged hijacker accidentally kills accomplice

A hijacker died in a Durban hospital after he was accidentally shot by an accomplice during an armed robbery on Tuesday.

The man‚ shot in the stomach‚ survived for 24 hours after succumbing to his injuries.

Reaction Unit South Africa spokesman Prem Balram said that the botched hijacking played out in Ottawa‚ north of Durban.

“Two Pakistani nationals were accosted by two suspects while they were in a car at a robot. One suspect was armed with a gun while his accomplice was in possession of a knife‚” he said.

Balram said when the driver and passenger refused to get out of the bakkie‚ a scuffle ensued.

“A victim was stabbed in the hand as they scuffled. The second suspect fired four shots at the victim. One bullet struck the victim on the foot while a second bullet struck the suspect's accomplice in the abdomen.”

The two victims were then pulled out of the car and the two men‚ one of whom was now bleeding profusely‚ sped off.

The bakkie‚ Balram said‚ was later found abandoned with R100‚000 inside.

The wounded hijacker had sought refuge in a home in an adjacent complex‚ telling the homeowner that he had been the victim of a hijacking.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane confirmed that the man was rushed to hospital where he later died.