Police are investigating the murder of a controversial top Durban Metro police official who was gunned down in a hail of bullets by unknown assailants in front of his house.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Brigadier Jay Naicker said Innocent Chamane‚ who was a logistics manager in the Durban Metro Police‚ was gunned down at about 7:45pm last night (Tuesday) at Bhekisisa area near the Inanda Dam.

Chamane‚ 52‚ who was off duty at the time of his murder‚ sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body.

The motive for his murder is still unknown and case of murder is being investigated by the Hillcrest detectives.

No arrest had been made for his murder.

Durban metro police spokesman Eugene Msomi could be reached for comment.

Chamane was ‘dogged’ by controversy after he was reportedly linked to several scandals that plagued the ailing city’s metro police resulting in city manager S’bu Sithole announcing early last year that it would be overhauled.

This followed reports of unhappiness within the metro police force‚ particularly against Chamane and his colleague Eugene Nzama‚ with some of the disgruntled staff calling for his head.

It was reported in June that the situation at the Metro Police K9 Unit had reached the point of crisis with shortages of dog food‚ dog shampoo and a large portion of the K9 force not being inoculated because of outstanding vet bills.

Chamane reportedly turned away donations of dog food after the publication of the story. At the time it was reported that metro police had 28 dogs and 14 horses with an annual budget of R700‚000.