There seems to be no end to taxi violence in the Ugu region on the KZN South Coast where two taxi drivers as well as two passengers were shot dead last week.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala says a 38-year-old driver was travelling with four passengers in the Thongasi area in KwaNzimakwe when they were shot by unknown people.

Gwala says two female passengers aged 30 and 35 and the driver were confirmed dead on the scene.

“The two injured passengers were taken to hospital for medical attention. The motive for the killing is unknown. Three counts of murder and two attempted murder cases were opened at Port Edward police station for investigation,” says Gwala.

In another incident August 26, Margate police received a complaint of a shooting incident along Piet Retief Road in Margate.

Gwala says on arrival, police found the body of a 35-year-old taxi driver with gunshot wounds to the head. She added that four occupants in the taxi also sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for medical treatment.

“The motive for the killing is unknown. Charges of murder and attempted murder were opened at Margate police station for investigation,” says Gwala.

Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) spokesperson, Mduduzi Makhunga, says the biggest problem in the Ugu district is that no one wants to come forward with useful information.

Makhunga says even though SANTACO holds meetings with the taxi associations in the region, few people talk and engage.

“No one wants to talk about what is happening in the Ugu region. They are scared of updating us as the province on these ongoing shootings. They fear for their lives. The situation in the Ugu region is intense.

“It is hard that taxi owners and drivers are being killed in this manner and it is even more sad that passengers are losing their lives because of this feud. If someone shoots a taxi driver who is carrying passengers, what is going to happen to those passengers?

“SANTACO is pleading with associations in Ugu not to resort to violence and talk about their challenges,” says Makhunga,

He adds that issues faced by associations in Ugu will not be fixed through guns.

The most recent killings happened a few months after police minister, Bheki Cele, held a consultative meeting at the Ugu Sports and Leisure Centre with taxi associations in the Ugu and Harry Gwala districts.