Brett Kebble's killers shot at him six times on a narrow, deserted stretch of Melrose Street in northern Johannesburg. The mining magnate was hit in the chest and sped away from the killers in his silver Mercedes-Benz. He was alive for a few moments but after driving for 400m he lost control, swerved across the road and smashed into the railing of a bridge over the M1 highway. This is where the police found the 41-year-old's body at about 9.30pm on Tuesday night.
At least one bullet missed him, and exited through the back left window. The car's windscreen had also been pierced by bullets. As Kebble's body was later taken out of the driver's seat and loaded into the mortuary van, police were carrying out investigations down the road, to try to piece together the sequence of events of the hit. A police officer had isolated 10 pieces of evidence with orange cones. Under six of them lay spent 9mm cartridges. 'We are looking at the possibility of this being an assassination'
A crime scene photographer was taking pictures of the long skid mark left by Kebble's car in his desperate attempt to flee. The tyre tracks show that he clipped the pavement on the left-hand side before he headed up the bridge. A lamppost had also been hit and had police tape around it, but it was unclear whether Kebble had driven into it. Kebble's driver's side window was rolled down when the shooting took place and mud was found on one of his wheels. These were signs that he could have stopped to meet someone but had fallen into a trap, an investigator at the scene said on Tuesday night.
The spot where Kebble was shot was at a narrow stretch of Melrose Street and was lit by one lamppost. It was a quiet spot, with a dusty patch and an entrance leading into a public park. It was unlikely there were any witnesses to the shooting. It was also discovered on Tuesday night that none of Kebble's possessions had been taken. On Wednesday morning police were not willing to confirm whether the murder was a professional hit.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Chris Wilken said he could not give any further details of the murder. "We are looking at the possibility of this being an assassination, but there is no evidence to suggest this so far," he said. "Further than that I can not say anything else."
Kebble had been on his way to a dinner engagement with colleague Sello Rasethaba when he was murdered. His father and business partner, Roger Kebble, who is overseas, has been informed of his son's death and is said to be "extremely shocked" at the news. "He was all alone in Paris and I am sure he had a very difficult night last night," Kebble's advocate, Willem Heath, said.
A man, who arrived on the scene before the police, found Kebble's blood-splattered body slumped over the steering wheel of his silver Mercedes-Benz. "There was blood everywhere. Someone wanted him dead. The car was riddled with bullet holes," said the man, who declined to be named.
Kebble's shocked spokesperson, David Barritt, said: "Brett was the most incredibly generous, kind and larger-than-life personality. His contribution to the mining industry will come to be recognised as very considerable."
A commentator said Kebble had had many enemies and his controversial business dealings had made him a target. "The list of people who had a problem with him was long. For some he was a crook whose empire had collapsed. "He had jumped into bed with the ANC Youth League, sponsored arts awards and was also believed to have been one of former deputy president Jacob Zuma's benefactors. "For others, he was a creative and quick-thinking businessman who dared to make deals that others shied away from. "To try to pick out his enemies would be difficult. Who did he cross in the past 10 years? Take your pick."
Kebble's company, RandGold & Exploration, was kicked off the Nasdaq in the US last week. He had to resign from his executive positions at JCI, RandGold & Exploration and Western Areas last month and he had frequently been investigated by the Scorpions. There were also criminal charges hanging over him over share manipulation. Despite the setbacks, he remained upbeat about life, said the commentator. "He was planning to lose weight and get back into shape - and take his first holiday in 14 years. "He also wanted to make a business comeback. "He had been involved in 40 empowerment deals in the past 18 months. "He had made many enemies along the way and any number of them who felt that they had been cheated could have been behind the killing."
Source: IoL
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