Update: Body identified after ongoing taxi war
The body of the man that was shot to death in his stomach during an ongoing taxi war between the Nasaret Taxi Association and the Mhluzi District Taxi Association on Friday was identified as Mr Thumi Mkhabele (25).
Mkhabele was shot by a police officer during another violent protest in Extention 24.
Violence erupted three months ago when the municipality awarded transport licenses to the Mhluzi Taxi Association, while the Nasaret Taxi Association was sidestepped.
Taxi operators from Nasaret refused to give up the income they make from taxi’s within their own community to an outside service provider. Residence from Extension 24, on the other hand pelted cars with stones and barricaded entrances to Nasaret to stop taxi’s from making an income.
Three houses, two in Rockdale and one in Extension 24, where former Nasaret residence resided, were burned down, tires were set alight and the school were closed for the children’s safety.
Three innocent civilians, including an 11-year old boy, were also shot and wounded during the violent protests raging over the passed couple of weeks.
The municipal spokesperson, Prudence Magutle, suggests that both taxi associations take hands and merge together as one. According to a friend of the deceased, Zwanele Skosana, Mkhabele’s mother, Lindiwe Mamsidlamini were notified of her sons’ death in Swaziland where she resides.
In January Ms Mamsidlamini also lost a daughter who was murdered by her boyfriend. “You wouldn’t believe the way Mkhabele’s mother was crying!,” Skosana told the Observer.
