Taxi boss shot dead at rank in KZN

A taxi boss has been killed after being shot multiple times in Tongaat, KwaZulu-Natal.

High-calibre rifles

The 43-year-old man was ambushed by unknown suspects while sitting in his vehicle on Gopalall Hurbans Drive in Tongaat.

He sustained multiple gunshot wounds on the upper body and was declared dead at the scene. 

According to Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), who were at the scene, the incident took place around 1pm on Wednesday.

“Reaction officers were dispatched to the scene and on arrival it was established that the deceased was seated in his white Audi A4 when the occupants of a maroon VW Polo fired a volley of shots at his vehicle.

“The gunmen were allegedly armed with high-calibre rifles. The deceased was struck multiple times on his body and his head. He was in possession of a 9mm pistol which was still holstered,” the unit said on Facebook.

WATCH: Four minibuses burnt in Joburg CBD as taxi violence flares up again

KZN police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala told The Citizen on Thursday that a case of murder had been opened at Tongaat Police Station for investigation.

The motive for the shooting at this stage has not been confirmed. No arrests have been made.

Meanwhile, the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in KZN has indicated they are not aware of any tensions between taxi associations in the area.

“We are also pleading with members of the community or members of the minibus taxis that are involved; please if there are any differences that people have, let’s resolve these issues in a boardroom situation.

“As Santaco, we are pleading that there should be calm and wait for the law enforcement to be able to give us feedback,” Santaco’s Sifiso Shangase told Jacaranda FM.

Taxis torched

The incident comes after four taxis were torched and six damaged in the Johannesburg CBD, while two taxis were also set alight in Soweto over the weekend.

Operations were suspended as several taxi owners were assaulted during the chaos. Cases of malicious damage to property have since been opened.

The violence was a result of the ongoing rivalry between the Witwatersrand African Taxi Association (WATA) and the Nancefield Dube West Association (Nanduwe) over routes.

WATA blamed government for causing violence.

ALSO READ: Taxi violence: Gauteng urged not to give same routes to different associations

Gauteng transport and roads infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo met with the two association on Wednesday, where the parties involved agreed to a ceasefire, eNCA reported.

A peace deal, however, has not been signed just yet, according to Mamabolo.

The MEC indicated a lasting solution had been reached, with the deal expected to be sealed on Friday.

Santaco in Gauteng previously urged the provincial government to avoid giving the same routes to the associations.

Previous incidents

Incidents of taxi violence also erupted in Hammanskraal earlier this month.

In the Western Cape, warring taxi associations – the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) – reached a ceasefire back in August.

At the time, police were deployed to Mew Way in Harare, Cape Town, after three people were shot and killed while a five-month-old was wounded.

Additional reporting by Cheryl Kahla.