HEADLINES:
R/€ Brett Kebble murdered
September 28, 2005 Edition 1
Johannesburg: Brett Kebble, the controversial mining magnate, has been shot dead.
A witness who arrived at the scene before the police last night said Kebble's bullet-riddled body was found slumped over the steering wheel of his Mercedes-Benz about 9pm.
"There was blood everywhere. Someone wanted him dead - there can be no doubt. The car was riddled with bullet holes," said the witness, who declined to be named.
Kebble's shocked spokesman, David Barritt, last night confirmed that the 42-year-old had been found dead in the suburb Athol Oaklands, near Houghton.
Barritt said he had been shot five times.
"I don't know if it was a hijacking gone wrong or a hit. I just don't know the circumstances," he said.
It was not clear where the shooting had taken place.
"Apparently (Kebble) drove some way before he lost control of the vehicle," Barritt said.
Johannesburg police spokesman Chris Wilken said it appeared that the shots had been fired at Kebble from a vehicle.
"We don't know how many shots, but (Kebble) had injuries to his upper body. He was found dead at the scene."
Sello Rasethaba, chief executive officer of Matodzi Resources, a business partner and close friend, said Kebble was to have joined him for dinner last night.
"I invited him for dinner after the difficult time he had been experiencing. He was to join me and the former prime minister of Namibia at my home.
"Brett was supposed to arrive for dinner at 9pm because he had a late-night meeting at his home.
"I don't know how this could have happened. This man was always careful with security."
Barritt said: "Brett was the most incredibly generous and larger-than-life personality (and his) contribution to the mining industry will come to be recognised as considerable."
Kebble's father, Roger, told Sapa: "I am in Paris. I don't know what happened.
"I am getting phone calls from everyone. You can find out from other people.
"Leave me alone now for a while, please."
Kebble had concluded an enormous number of empowerment deals, but many had fallen apart.
"Who is it in the past 10 years - take your pick?" one business commentator said.
"He has taken risks, he's walked the line between what is legal and what is illegal so many times."
The Kebble family businesses JCI and RandGold and Exploration were suspended from the JSE at the beginning of last month for failing to publish their financial figures.
Brett Kebble was CEO of both companies but resigned from his executive positions at JCI, RandGold and Exploration, and Western Areas at the beginning of this month.
Randgold and Exploration was thrown off the US's Nasdaq stock exchange last week and the JSE last month.
There were also criminal charges pending against Kebble over share manipulation.
About a month ago, Kebble said: "When you are in a high-stakes environment, you tend to act in a way that shows you the stakes are high. I'm going to transform the economy, I want to do more empowerment deals."
The business commentator said: "We knew this guy was going to be the greatest corporate success or he was going to wind up in jail.
"He's wound up dead."
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