Memorial service for 12 slain taxi operators from Ivory Park
The taxi operators had gone to their colleague’s funeral, who was also gunned down earlier
A memorial service for the 12 taxi operators from Ivory Park Taxi Association, who were killed in a brutal attack in KZN on Saturday night, will be held at Rabie Ridge Community Hall on Thursday at 1pm.
Eleven people died on the scene when gunmen opened fire on the Toyota Quantum taxi they were travelling in, returning from a colleague’s funeral. The attack happened along the R74 between Colenso and Weenen.
Another person died in hospital on Tuesday.
The twelve victims were killed as they returned from Zwayi Mthembu’s funeral service in KwaZulu-Natal. Over 200 shots were fired at the vehicle.
Mthembu, also a member of Ivory Park Taxi Association (IPTA), was earlier fatally shot together with two other taxi owners. They died on the scene inside a Quantum.
IPTA chairman Johannes Mkhonza confirmed that out of the 12 people shot dead, 10 were IPTA taxi operators.
“The other two men were their friends. The taxi operators had gone to their colleague’s funeral and we do not know what went wrong on their way back. We can’t link these killings to taxi violence because we are not fighting with any other taxi association for routes or any other matter,” explained Mkhonza.
Mkhonza said the association had lost a big number of drivers at one go.
“Our taxi operators are known for their good behaviour and dress code. We are still shocked and saddened by the brutal attack. Innocent people just died for what, we don’t know,” he added.
