The death of a businessman gunned down in Kwazakhele in a suspected hit has been linked to a treacherous tangle over contract work for the construction of roads around the Njoli Square development.
Khaya Fuleni, 44, who was a director of Siya-Mikuso Trading, was shot four times on Wednesday October 3.
He was walking down Tshawuka Street, Kwazakhele, with a friend when he was killed – with his two cellphones left at the scene.
Fuleni was chair of the Ward 22 Business Forum, which was started in 2015.
It had the authority to select SMMEs for phase one of the Njoli Square development.
But Fuleni’s position had recently been questioned by other businessmen in the ward – with a parallel structure formed in June called the People Shall Share Business Forum, chaired by Arthur Marwana.
Eventually, ward 22 councillor Nqabakazi Zuma was called in. This resulted in a meeting on Wednesday October 3 between the two forums where it was decided that an election would take place two days later, with the SMMEs selecting the forum that would oversee the work.
And on Friday October 5, the People Shall Share Business Forum was elected as the new forum for ward 22.
But two hours after the meeting had ended at Daku Hall on October 3, Fuleni was shot dead just after 5.30pm.
Zuma did not respond to repeated telephone calls and messages and she also failed to arrive at an agreed meeting at her office in Kwazakhele.
Contacted for comment on Wednesday, Marwana told The Herald to call back later, but failed to answer repeated calls.
Roads around Njoli Square are being upgraded for phase one of the development at a cost of R18m, with SMMEs given 25% of the work.
The project, which includes a massive roads upgrade to accommodate the Integrated Public Transport System, will eventually see the construction of a Njoli precinct to include space for informal traders, medical suites, a library, a civic centre and a shopping centre.
While the police’s probe is at an early stage, detectives are investigating the squabble over control of the forums as a possible motive in Fuleni’s death.
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said: “There were allegations made that his death was linked to the forum and the infighting between businesses.
“We have not ruled out the possibility of a link to the forum and its affiliations to businesses in the ward,” he said.
A police detective, who declined to be named but has intimate knowledge of the case, said since the development started in Kwazakhele, SMMEs had been fighting over the contract work.
“First there was the formation of the Ward 22 Business Forum with Fuleni as the chairman, but he met resistance from others who felt they did not benefit from his position.
“This led to the formation of a second group within the ward,” he said.
“In June, Marwana was elected chair of the People Shall Share Business Forum in a bid to wrestle power from Fuleni.”
The detective said Fuleni had proposed that the contract work be split 50/50 between the two forums but this had been rejected by Marwana.
“There was a meeting at Daku Hall on Wednesday [October 3] and Zuma summoned both Fuleni and Marwana outside to discuss the issue.
“But when they returned she announced there would be an election among all SMMEs to decide who would run just one of the forums.”
He said police believed the motive behind Fuleni’s death was strongly linked to the development.
A woman, who lives on Tshawuka Street, said seconds before Fuleni’s death she had heard a gun being cocked.
“I was coming from my garage when I saw the couple walking down the street.
“I heard a firearm being cocked as I entered my kitchen.
“I ran inside to protect my daughter. Then I heard four bullets being fired.”
She said she had left her house after 15 minutes and had seen Fuleni’s body in the road.
“There was blood and his eyes were wide open.”
She said his cellphones had been lying next to his body.
Family and business associates of Fuleni refused to be named when contacted as they feared retribution.
One business associate said: “We are scared. We do not know who will be the next target. I have locked myself inside my house as we speak.”
A family member blamed the death of Fuleni on the fight to control what a business forum did.
“Earlier this year we were told of a parallel structure that was formed in the ward.
“They claimed the youth were more deserving of the work. This led to a series [of incidents] of friction between the two factions.”
She said the battle to control the forum had been reported to the police and the municipality.
A woman who was part of Fuleni’s forum said his death was linked to the conflict over contract work.
“Someone [allegedly] hired gangsters to murder Khaya,” she said.
“It is all related to the Njoli development.
“This is very painful. Khaya was a breadwinner and now he is dead.”
She described Fuleni, who had left three children, as a people’s person who would always go the extra mile for his community.
Kwazakhele Crime Prevention Forum chair Mawethu Poni said he had been approached by Fuleni to try to resolve the impasse between the two forums in June.
“I don’t know why there were two forums, but it caused problems.”
Poni said that at a meeting on October 3 – at which he was present, and chaired by Zuma – it had been decided to have an election two days later.
“The Wednesday meeting closed when it was decided to have an election on Friday. This would have formalised the forum for the ward.”
Poni said he did not want to speculate that Fuleni’s death was linked to the forums.
During a memorial service for Fuleni at the Daku Hall on Wednesday, ANC ward 19 councillor Gamalihleli Maqula said: “People will be afraid to join these business forums as we shoot each other.
“Khaya died for nothing. He died for something that is not there. But let us use his death to unify members of the ANC.”
The development was initiated by the municipality in 2003 as one of its Vision 2020 projects.
The overall plan is to create a civic facilities centre and public transport interchange which will positively affect Kwazakhele.
Nelson Mandela Bay municipal spokesman Kupido Baron said the local authority was perturbed by the death of Fuleni.
“But we have full confidence the police will speedily bring the guilty to book,” he said.
“We are also concerned the disagreement [between two forums] is contrary to the spirit of improving economic opportunities for all small, medium and micro enterprises.
“Our officials therefore requested that those involved in these disagreements should find common ground as a matter of urgency.
“Our focus as the municipality is to ensure infrastructure developments take place to the benefit of the broader community while local companies benefit from the opportunities that are unlocked,” he said.
The tender for the work was won through a joint venture between WA Road Construction and Star Time Trading.
“They [through the forum] contracted local SMMEs in turn to the value of 25% of the work,” Kupido said.
Star Time Trading director David Mhlanga declined to comment, while WA Road Construction director William Makhubela could not be reached.
Fuleni was buried on Sunday.