Dolphin Coast taxi chairperson found dead in his car

The chairperson of the Dolphin Coast Taxi Association Cedric Ntombela was allegedly murdered on Monday night.

He was found in his car in Njekane at Thembeni, outside Groutville in KwaZulu-Natal with multiple gunshot wounds to the head, reports North Coast Courier.

Police are still investigating the motive behind the murder, however, his death follows a string of hits within the association over the last few years.

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Ntombela’s murder was condemned by KZN transport, community safety and liaison MEC, Mxolisi Kaunda, who said he had sent a team of senior officials to intervene in the Dolphin Coast Taxi Association.

Kaunda asked the police to speed up the investigation and established the motive.

“The investigation must also assist us not only to find those who pulled the trigger, but also the plotters.

“Although the police are still busy with the investigation, which will also establish if the incident is taxi-related, the department had made numerous interventions before to stabilise the situation in the association following several killings, particularly of the leadership of the association,” said Kaunda.

He said those “interventions” had helped in the past to stabilise the association.

Kaunda added that the department would also look into the behaviour of the private security industry involved to ensure that they were providing their services within the ambit of the law.

“We are confident that the police will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the perpetrators of this incident are brought to book.

“On behalf of the provincial government, we would like to convey our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased,” he said.

• 2019: Taxi boss Philani Ndaba was gunned down in Shakaskraal in April.
• 2018: Taxi boss Dicky Govender and his wife were both shot on the R102.
• 2017: Chairperson Robert Stephen was killed in Etete.
• 2016: The association’s public relations officer Mdu Tony was shot and killed near Shakaskraal.

Speaking to the North Coast Courier in April, association spokesperson Sunshine Mthiyane said they suspected the murders were inside jobs.

“We do not have any problems with other associations, and we suspect that these murders are done by our own people,” said Mthiyane.

Mthiyane said many Dolphin Coast taxi owners, including himself, feared for their lives, and said that they received anonymous threats if they asked questions.

Mthiyane could not be reached for comment regarding the incident.

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