Police suspect the recent killings of four CALLDTA (Carletonville Local and Long-Distance Taxi Association) members as well as a family member of one of them, are linked to an ongoing taxi war in the Carletonville area.

The most recent victim, Mandlakayise Hlamaphi (41), was killed on May 5, less two months after Ganuze Dalindyebo (40) and his brother-in-law, Mbusu Nothenjwa (42) were murdered on March 30. Taxi boss Samuel Fesi Maboye (60) and another member of the association, Maine Peter Moilwa (53), were killed on February 28.

Carletonville police say Hlamaphi  drove to a shop at a Caltex filling station in Annan Road to buy bread at around 21:00 last Thursday. Two unknown men approached him as he came out of the shop and walked towards his silver Toyota Corolla in the parking area.

The men, who were both carrying 9mm pistols, opened fire on Hlamaphi. He tried to run away but fell to the ground. His assailants continued shooting and only left when they were convinced that he was dead.

The gunmen ran to a car parked in one of the parking bays opposite the filling station and raced away.

• On March 30, Dalindyebo and Nothenjwa were gunned down in broad daylight opposite Three Monkeys Spar in Carletonville.

Three gunmen, armed with two 9mm pistols and an AK47, opened fire on the men while they were talking to someone sitting in a parked car at around 16:00. At least 15 shots were fired. Both victims were declared dead on the scene.

• On February 28, armed attackers overpowered Maboye and Moilwa at the CALLDTA office in the Tereneure Building in Kaolin Street, Carletonville. The men were tied up, robbed of their money and shot in the head. Two female victims who were also in the office at the time, were shot in the leg and hip.

The police suspect the most recent killing was another “hit” in an ongoing war in the Carletonville area’s taxi industry.

The police’s specialised taxi violence unit is investigating the case.