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Mistress quizzed after man is shot

MPUMALANGA police have questioned the female companion of a popular businessman who was abducted and shot dead in Evander.

MPUMALANGA police have questioned the female companion of a popular businessman who was abducted and shot dead in Evander.

Jerry Lesailane of Embalenhle township near Evander was allegedly sitting in his bakkie with a 26-year-old woman when they were attacked by five armed men on Thursday afternoon.

Lesailane, 45, who constructed and maintained swimming pools, was shot once in the stomach and died on the scene.

Yesterday a team of investigators questioned the woman for hours in following up a statement she had made last Thursday.

Constable Sibusiso Mbuli of the Evander police confirmed that detectives met family members yesterday morning and later fetched the alleged domestic worker to find out what exactly had happened.

According to her statement it all started at about 3pm while they were sitting in Lesailane's bakkie on the Kinross-Balfour road. They were about 100 metres from the road in a spot frequented by prostitutes.

Mbuli said a they had had an affair and regularly visited the same spot.

"She said two armed men appeared from behind the vehicle and pointed a firearm at Lesailane. They got into the vehicle and ordered him to drive about 200 metres deeper into the bush. They told him to stop the vehicle and one of the gunmen alighted and called three more men to join them."

The couple was ordered to alight from the vehicle and the gunmen used their shoelaces and her belt to tie them up.

Lesailane, who had just returned from collecting money from a clients, tried to take the abductors on in an attempt to stop them from grabbing his money.

But they shot him in the stomach and threw his body into a shallow ditch before driving off in his bakkie.

The woman managed to untie herself then rushed to the Embalenhle Clinic. But when they came back they realised Lesailane was already dead.

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