He was out on R5,000 bail at the time for a 2023 drug-related case. According to reports, Durban Metro Police arrested him on 15 June 2023 after a tip from crime intelligence about someone wholesaling drugs in Welbedacht. A search of the premises recovered 168 segments of cocaine and 3,856 heroin capsules (found in a bedroom cupboard and concealed in blocks in the yard), plus about R47,000 in cash. He appeared in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court and was released on bail, with the case postponed for further investigation.
Details of the shooting
Nandulal left home for work around 5:50 a.m. after his wife made him coffee. He was travelling his usual morning route along Road 751 to collect his conductor when the attack occurred.
Witness accounts (relayed by a close friend, Marcus Lutchmina) describe a white Toyota Fortuner with dark-tinted windows and no number plates that had circled the area several times that morning before parking at a street corner. When Nandulal’s vehicle approached, the occupants opened fire. He tried to reverse to escape but became stuck between a tree and a pole. Two of the gunmen then got out, approached him, and fired multiple additional shots at close range, killing him. His upper body was described as riddled with bullets. A security camera is reportedly located at a nearby stop street, and family/friends hoped police would retrieve the footage.
Friends arrived at the scene quickly and informed his wife, Roxanne Nandulal. She rushed there but found him already dead; police prevented her from approaching the body or the taxi closely.
Family and friends’ perspective
Roxanne Nandulal stated that while there were rumours linking her husband to drug dealing, she did not believe the murder was drug-related. She dismissed claims he was a “drug kingpin,” saying he had sold drugs only on a small scale after the 2023 arrest (having closed that activity afterward) to help support the family financially, as she struggled to find work and they were still paying for the taxi. He had owned the taxi for about seven years and was the sole provider for her and their two children (ages 4 and 17). She described him as a hard-working family man who loved cooking, was always home, and had no known enemies or prior threats on his life. The family had moved from Crossmoor to Welbedacht to be closer to his mother, for whom he had been planning a 60th birthday party that week.
Lutchmina similarly said Nandulal was involved in some drug-related activity but not at a scale that would explain such a targeted killing. He characterised Nandulal as a “beautiful soul” and hard-working man from a tough background who was not a fighter and had no bad blood with anyone. Both emphasised the hope that witnesses would come forward and that the killers would be held accountable.
Context and status
Chatsworth and surrounding areas (including Welbedacht, Crossmoor, etc.) have experienced ongoing issues with drug-related crime, taxi/tow-truck conflicts, and shootings over the years, though family and friends in this case specifically reject a drug-turf motive for this incident. As of the reporting (article published 2 August 2026 by Yoshini Perumal in The Post/IOL), the matter was under police investigation with no public confirmation of arrests, motive determination, or additional official statements beyond the details above. No major follow-up reports from other outlets appeared in immediate searches.
This remains an active murder investigation. Anyone with information is typically encouraged to contact local SAPS (Chatsworth or relevant units) or Crime Stop lines.
