A Melmoth taxi owner and his brother were gunned down on the N2 near Salt Rock on Saturday evening.

According to a police source, Walter Mhlongo (60) and his brother Alfred Mhlongo (62) were driving to La Lucia at around 8.30pm when the shoot-out occurred.

The brothers were reportedly travelling for business purposes following a cleansing ritual in Melmoth on Saturday afternoon.

When the shooting began, Alfred called for help, after which his cellphone went dead. A hunt ensued for the men as their location was not known.

“The vehicle could not initially be located until Cartrack tracked the signal to near the southbound Salt Rock onramp on the N2,” said Umhlali Saps spokesperson, Captain Vinny Pillay.

After hours of searching, Umhlali Saps, Cartrack and Z2 Security members found the vehicle in a dense bush down the embankment, about a kilometre north of the onramp.

There were more than 20 bullet holes on the driver’s side of the vehicle, including the roof and windscreen, he said.

Walter was shot in the head while Alfred was hit in the side of his body. Both were pronounced dead on scene.

The motive for the shooting has not been established.

A case of murder has been opened at Umhlali Saps.

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