"We won't accept an apology from a hitman."

This was the comment from the family of a Durban businessman, who was shot dead execution-style at his petrol station in August in a hit that was captured on CCTV.

Kidesh Ramjettan was killed at his petrol station in Rossburgh, south of Durban and footage of his murder trended on social media.

His killer Ayanda Shezi, a Johannesburg taxi driver, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday in the Durban Regional Court.

Through his lawyer, Shezi, 34, apologised to Ramjettan's family saying that he was remorseful.

But the family would not accept it.

"We don't accept the apology from him. I mean, that's a hitman... so he can't come and apologise to my family. We lost my brother and we are never going to get my brother back. We've got to live with this for the rest of our lives," Ramjettan's brother Anesh said.

He said the family was relieved that Shezi had been sentenced to life imprisonment.

"The family is quite relieved that the shooter now has been given a life sentence. He is not going to be a threat to society for the next 25 to 30 years. The family is relieved to a certain extent," Anesh told News24.

He said they also wanted others involved in the businessman's murder to be convicted.

"There are more people involved and the family is hoping that they arrest and convict all the other people that are involved in the killing of Kidesh," Anesh added.

The court heard that a man only known as "Kimman" had organised the hit.

Shezi told the court that Kimman, whom he said was involved in truck robberies, wanted Ramjettan dead because he was going to be a witness in Kimman's case.

The court also heard that one of Shezi's co-accused Menziwa Mdaka acted as a middleman between Kimman and Shezi.

Shezi said he did not know Kimman before Ramjettan's murder. He said he only met him at a Durban hotel that Kimman had booked for them.

Kimman paid Shezi and Mdaka R30 000 for Ramjettan's murder, the court heard.

Shezi said he was only paid R12 000 because he had to pay R3 000 to the driver of the vehicle who transported them from Johannesburg to Durban.

He said he was not friends with Mdaka but that they used to meet at a taxi rank in Johannesburg where they both drove taxis.

He said Mdaka had also promised him that the CCTV footage at Ramjettan's garage where he shot him would be "erased".

Shezi's advocate Sanjeev Juglal, told the court that Shezi feared for his life because Kimman allegedly enjoyed police protection.

"There are policemen involved who seem to be protecting Kimman," said Juglal. However, he added that Shezi did not know their names.

Police are still tracing Kimman's whereabouts.

Juglal told the court that Shezi had agreed to kill Ramjettan because he had financial problems.

He needed money for the funeral of his aunt who passed away in Ulundi, said Juglal.

Shezi, Mdaka and Zakhele Dubazane were arrested in Gauteng by the KZN provincial task team in October.

Prosecutor Surekha Marimuthu said Shezi looked like a professional hitman from the CCTV footage obtained at Ramjettan's garage.

"He showed no regard for another human life," said Marimuthu.

She also said Ramjettan was an active member of society who provided employment to other people.

Magistrate Samuel Luthuli said the manner in which Shezi "carried out" Ramjettan's murder "far outweighed his guilty plea".

Mdaka and Dubazane are expected back in court on November 22 for a bail hearing.