One person is reported to be dead while relative calm has returned to the scene of this morning’s Wild West taxi shootout in the lower Pietermaritzburg CBD in KwaZulu-Natal, the Maritzburg Public Eye reports.
Police and forensics are at the scene of this morning’s bloody taxi violence shootout that has thus far claimed the life of one person and left several others injured.
SAPS spokesperson Captain Khosi Khonjelwayo confirmed the person who was shot was a bystander and not involved in the taxi industry, while another person, who was shot in his leg, drove off in a taxi.
Police are investigating one count of murder.
NT Dhlomo, member of the Pietermaritzburg Long-Distance Taxi Association (PLDTA) said there has been ongoing problems in the past year between the PLDTA and the Howick Taxi Association that boiled over today.
“We have permits to operate in Pietermaritzburg and Howick, while others do not. We don’t have a problem with any other taxi association in Pmb besides the Howick guys,” Dhlomo said.
Watch these videos taken in the moment when the shots rang out:
The shoot-out is believed to be as a result of an alleged turf-war between the Howick and Pietermaritzburg taxi associations.
Earlier report
Taxis have blockaded Pietermaritz and Boshoff street while there has been rapid gunfire at the Brookside Taxi Rank in what is believed to be a dispute over taxi routes between Howick and Pietermaritzburg.
Capital Media journalists at the scene have also been threatened by taxi drivers that they will have their cameras taken away or be shot at if they do not leave the scene.
The lower CBD from East Street towards the Brookside taxi rank and the N3 off-ramp is a no-go zone. Motorists are advised to stay away from the CBD.
Parents have raised concern over the safety of the children in the two neighbouring schools – ML Sultan School and Forest Hills Primary School.
The suspects are believed to be fleeing on foot on the N3 towards Hilton.
The area remains a no-go zone: