A KwaZulu-Natal traffic officer was shot dead with his service pistol on Friday afternoon. 

Superintendent Mbuso Biyela was shot twice in the chest while on duty on the R66, just outside Eshowe. 

A source close to the investigation told TimesLIVE that Biyela had pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation and was busy with an inspection when he was approached by a man, who was on foot. 

“At this stage we are still trying to establish whether it was a hit, and they had specifically targeted him for some reason, or whether it was a botched robbery, where the suspect intended to rob him of his firearm.”

Police spokesperson Brig Jay Naicker said Biyela was forced to lie on the ground before being disarmed. 

“While he was performing his duties, an unknown suspect pointed at him with a firearm and ordered the victim to lie on the ground. He took the victim’s firearm and shot him twice on the chest. The victim was declared dead at the scene.”

Naicker said a case of murder was being investigated by Eshowe SAPS. 

A memorial service for Biyela is under way at the Eshowe town hall. 

On Sunday, uMlalazi municipality issued a statement saying it had lost one of its most dedicated soldiers.

“We have lost a soldier, we have been ripped of one of the best traffic officers the municipality has ever produced. A calm man who took his colleagues like brothers and sisters. We call on the SAPS to make certain that whoever is behind this goes behind bars,” said uMlalazi mayor Thelumoya Zulu. 

Biyela will be laid to rest on Saturday.