THOHOYANDOU – A reward of R10 000 was made available by the Sunney Muslim Acadamey in Thohoyandou for information leading to the capture and conviction of the murderer of a well-known businessman, Mr Sadat Mathiya (34), who was shot dead at his home in Thohoyandou Block F on Sunday.

In announcing the reward offered by the Sunney Muslim Acadamey, a businessman and member of the Thohoyandou Community Policing Forum, Mr Ayub (Madina) Patel, told Mirror that “we as Indians, we are totally prepared to fight with those people who are of the opinion that it is easy to rob and kill Indian people. Since the tragedy happened, we have held many meetings to discuss how to deal with murder and theft. We are warning those who are still contemplating such actions not to come back again; we are fully prepared,” said an angry Mr Patel.

It is alleged that Mr Mathiya was shot dead at about 04:00 on Sunday by five unknown armed men.

According to the SAPS spokesperson in the Vhembe area, Capt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi, five armed men allegedly cut the burglar proofing before entering the premises. Three men entered into the house with firearms, while two were left on guard out-side.

The family members, who were hidden inside of the house, called neighbours and the police for as-sistance. However, help arrived too late, because Mr Mathiya was shot dead on the spot.

The armed men allegedly intended to rob the businessman, but fled with only two cell phones.

Mr Patel said that the Indian community is tired of living in fear. “We are experiencing problems of theft, house-breaking and murder on a daily base,” he said.

He also stated that Thohoyandou block F and other locations around Thohoyandou are totally unsafe be-cause residents are in danger of losing their valuables. “We as the Indian community are pleading with the police to patrol our area 24 hours per day for the sake of our lives. We do not know who will be next, but through the intervention of the police, it will be stopped. We are also pleading with police officers to arrive at the spot without wasting any time. Sometimes, it takes about one hour before the police attend to our requests,” he said.