Cape Town - A Gugulethu resident has shed light on the tragic sequence of events culminating in the murder of Noem My Skollie actor, David Manuel.
Manuel, also known by his nickname “Gums”, was shot and killed along with his best friend Alfonso Fisher on October 8.
The resident said it was not the first attempt on Manuel’s life.
“Last year, two men went into his home and beat him to a pulp, and he was admitted to hospital where he spent two months. We believe the aim was to kill him, but he survived.
“On October 8 around 10pm, unknown suspects forced their way into the house and a lot of gunshots went off.
“People went to see what had happened, when I went to the scene, one of the neighbours was carrying him to a car, and they rushed him to hospital, and Alfonso was already dead. And in the morning we heard he had died.”
After a month-long investigation, police arrested two suspects - siblings, this week, in the alleged life insurance policy murder plot.
The brother and sister live across the road from Manuel’s home in Gugulethu.
Another resident said: “After the shooting, one of the suspects, who is a lecturer, went to identify the body at the morgue. They arranged the funeral; they bought 10kg of samp and 10kg of chicken. At the time we didn’t know anything about the policy.”
Manuel was born in NY 141 but left home to live on the streets in the city centre.
“His mom drank a lot and didn’t take care of him and at the age of 9, he left his home.
“He was on the streets where he met Alfonso, they became best friends, they were in and out of jail together.
“And they would come to Gugulethu and when they disappeared we knew they were in jail,” the woman said.
“They have never been arrested for violent crimes, but for petty theft. David was mostly charged with breaking into cars.”
She described Manuel as someone who was kind and helpful in the neighbourhood.
“He was very humble, he loved joking around. We were very proud of him when we saw him in movies.
“After three movies, he was still poor, they never paid him what he deserved. He ate at soup kitchens, and his neighbours also gave him food.
“He would wash people’s wheelie bins to make a buck. His death has taken its toll on everyone who knew him. Manuel was a father of two children, a 10-year-old girl and a boy, 6, and they are in Heideveld with their families.”
She said Fisher’s family is in Mfuleni but his home was like Manuel’s.
Police spokesperson, Wesley Twigg, said: “The investigation revealed that life insurance policies were taken out by family members which was identified as a possible motive.
“A male and a female between 30 and 40 will appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on charges of murder and fraud. The possibility of more arrests are not excluded.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za