A member of the Hawks task team investigating a corruption and money laundering case of eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede survived after he was shot by three unidentified gunmen.

The incident, which happened on Friday last week, was confirmed by the Hawks spokesperson Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi on Wednesday evening.

Mulaudzi said the police officer, whose identity was not disclosed for security reasons, came under a hail of bullets while driving to work in Johannesburg.

The wounded cop, however, managed to escape and received medical attention.

Mulaudzi said the officer was now recuperating at home. No arrests have been made.

“He was travelling to work when three suspects started shooting at him and he managed to escape. And there were bystanders who were affected [by the shooting],” he said.

Mulaudzi, however, declined to disclose the number of the bystanders who were affected by the shooting incident nor the extent of their injuries.

“...with what has happened we are going to heighten security of the members [probing the Gumede corruption case]” he said.

The news about the officer being shot broke on Wednesday evening as supporters of Gumede were holding a night vigil outside the Durban magistrate’s court ahead of her appearance at the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in KwaZuluNatal.

Mulaudzi told Sowetan  the Hawks were trying to track down the suspects.

The embattled Gumede, who has been placed on special leave, is currently out on R50,000 bail and faces criminal charges relating to racketeering, corruption and money laundering.

She will appear alongside senior ANC councillor and eThekwini deputy speaker Mondli Mthembu after they were arrested in May. The two‚ together with 61 other councillors‚ have been implicated in an allegedly dodgy R208m Durban Solid Waste tender‚ awarded in 2016.

The mayor has been accused of using her political position to influence the contract.

Additional reporting by Orrin Singh