Man gunned down in parking lot

A man believed to be a member of a controversial business forum was shot outside a popular Umlazi restaurant.

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Durban -

A man believed to be a member of the controversial Delangokubona business forum was gunned down in the parking lot outside Umlazi tourist attraction Max's Lifestyle on Monday

Mlungisi Chiliza, 44, was allegedly standing in the parking lot with the chairman of the business forum, Sibusiso Mnyandu, when an unknown number of men in a white Ford Figo stopped in front of them and fired multiple gunshots, killing Chiliza.

Delangokubona became notorious for using violence and intimidation to shut down municipal depots - demanding tenders and contracts - and imposed its workers on construction contractors, allegedly demanding "protection fees".

Police spokeswoman Nqobile Gwala confirmed the incident. She said the man was shot in the head and shot multiple times in the body. No arrests had been made and police were investigating the case.

Earlier reports incorrectly claimed the man had visited the restaurant. Max's Lifestyle owner Max Mqadi said the shooting had nothing to do with his restaurant and the people were not his patrons. The man had run to his establishment seeking refuge after he had been shot in the parking lot.

"It was around 10am when the incident happened and we had not opened for business. I was at the gym and the cleaning staff were tidying up the place after a busy weekend. The man fell down on the ground while trying to run away from the people shooting," he said.

Mqadi, who was informed of the shooting by his staff, said CCTV footage which captured the incident proved that the man was outside. The Mercury asked for the footage, but he said it had been handed over to police and would form part of their investigation.

It is not the first time the stylish township lounge, which is popular with locals and visitors to the city, has made headlines. In 2010, at least 30 people were injured, 15 seriously, when a wooden deck collapsed and plunged patrons into a hole 2m deep.

Rated one of the top 10 township restaurants by SA Tourism, the venue is frequented by the who's who of Durban and out-of-town visitors, ranging from politicians to business people, celebrities and wannabes.

The Mercury's sister paper Isolezwe went to Max's Lifestyle immediately after the incident and found the body of the man on the ground while police were busy on the scene.

Bystanders said Chiliza was in the parking lot when the men got out of the car they were driving and fired multiple gunshots. When he fell to the ground the shooters got back into the car and sped off.

A woman who said she was a family member came to the scene. She burst into tears with her head in her hands and knelt down in disbelief.

The extent of Chiliza's involvement in Delangokubona business forum is not clear as yet. Mnyandu was also traumatised after the shooting and could not speak about the incident or Chiliza's role in the forum.

It is not known if the killing came as a result of the forum's harrassment of contractors around the province, mainly in Durban and Richards Bay. The forum delayed many projects around KwaZulu-Natal, after alleging that its unsuccessful bids for tenders were evidence of corruption on the part of eThekwini and the provincial government. The city and government rejected the claims.

The Mercury phoned other leading members of the business forum, but they refused to speak about the incident.

The Mercury