A 29-year-old Zimbabwean man, Emmanuel Mahamba, was tragically k!lled in Rivonia, Johannesburg, after being deliberately run over multiple times by a Ford Ranger in what police are treating as a case of murder linked to a violent romantic dispute. The incident occurred around 4pm on Saturday along 12th Avenue and has shocked the local community.
Mahamba, who was originally from Mvuma, Zimbabwe, was reportedly involved in a love triangle with a woman identified as Ntombizodwa and her Ugandan ex-partner, who is the father of her child. According to eyewitnesses, the suspect, in a fit of rage, used his vehicle to repeatedly run over Mahamba, leaving him fatally injured in full view of bystanders.
Sources close to the individuals involved said that both Mahamba and the Ugandan suspect were romantically linked to Ntombizodwa. While Mahamba was a married man with a child, Ntombizodwa is said to have ended her affair with him after her baby daddy discovered the relationship. Tensions escalated dramatically, resulting in the deadly encounter.
Sarah Britten, a communications and brand expert who witnessed the attack, described the horrifying scene to The Citizen. She recounted slowing down for a red light when she saw the Ford Ranger run over a pedestrian. “It literally bounced over him with both sets of tyres, before speeding off across Rivonia Road,” she said.
Britten, visibly shaken, said she immediately got out of her car, locked it, and ran over to assist. “I asked the bystanders if anyone had called the police. My hands were shaking so much I called my husband, who in turn called Netcare 911,” she said. At the time, Mahamba was still conscious and moving. “I told him an ambulance was coming. As paramedics arrived, I helped turn him over. They tried CPR, but it was too late,” she added.
Footage of the brutal incident has since gone viral, sparking widespread outrage and drawing attention to the dangers of violent confrontations stemming from romantic disputes.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that a case of murder has been opened. “No-one has been arrested yet and all leads to trace the suspect are being followed,” she said, urging members of the public with any information to come forward.
