Businessman killed, girl injured in KZN taxi war shooting

A well-known KwaDukuza businessman was fatally wounded and a school pupil was injured when caught in the crossfire of a taxi war shooting last week.

Ebrahim Desai was killed when a group of unidentified men ambushed KwaDukuza Taxi Association chairperson Dumsani Mhlongo in Balcomb Street on Wednesday.

Mhlongo was not injured but Desai was shot while on his way home from mosque and later died in hospital.

An unnamed man, believed to be a hitman, was also shot dead in Balcomb Street during the gun battle between the KwaDukuza Association members and the unknown assailants.

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The next day a schoolgirl was shot and injured while sitting in the front seat of a taxi in Darnall.

A 41-year-old street vendor on Balcomb Street saw the fighting start on Wednesday.

“I was sitting by my table, chatting to a customer and I saw a car coming towards the streets lights and there was a car parked just opposite us.

“A group of men came out of the parked car with their big guns and started shooting.

“I am terrified of guns and I ran to the back of a building.

“I only came back when the shooting had stopped,” the Mozambican man said.

KwaDukuza Taxi Association PRO, Sbusiso Gumede, claimed the organisation did not know the motive behind the attack.

“We are also trying to process the whole thing because we do not know what the cause of these attacks are. We hope the police will be able to help us,” said Gumede.

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KwaDukuza police spokesperson Priya Nunkumar said police were investigating cases of murder and attempted murder.

Nunkumar said the men who attacked the taxi owner on Balcomb Street were armed with rifles.

“A shootout occurred between the suspects and the victim, fatally wounding one of the alleged suspects, who was in possession of an AK47 rifle which has been recovered from the scene.

“The suspects fled, leaving behind the getaway vehicle. Two R5 rifles were also recovered.”

This article was republished from North Coast Courier with permission 

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