Three men were killed and one was critically injured when they were reportedly ambushed near KwaDukuza on Wednesday afternoon.

Two of the three men were members of the Maphumulo Taxi Association.

According to KZN police spokesperson colonel Thembeka Mbhele the men were travelling in a blue Hilux from Ekunqobeni towards Masiwela in Maphumulo when a group of armed men opened fire at them.

“The motive is unknown at this stage.

“Three charges of murder and one attempted murder were opened at KwaDukuza police station,” said Mbhele.

A member of the Maphumulo Taxi Association Magic Thusi said he believed the killings to be taxi related.

“It is the same old story of the KwaDukuza and Maphumulo route issue.

“However, they (KwaDukuza Association) have managed to get people from Maphumulo to attack us.

“So, it looks like Maphumulo taxi owners are killing one another, but that is not true, there is no internal fighting within the Maphumulo Taxi Association,” said Thusi.

The fight between KwaDukuza and Maphumulo taxi associations over the control of the Maphumulo route has been extreamly violent.

Turf war time line from 2014:

• A case of attempted murder was opened after a shooting at the Stanger taxi rank in April 2014.
• Maphumulo and KwaDukuza taxis brought Stanger to a standstill in July 2014. While no shots were fired armed men blockaded the streets.

• On January 14, 2015 a convoy of the Maphumulo Taxi Association owners and security guards were ambushed in Stanger Manor. One of the hitmen and Maphumulo taxi owner Ten Ten Ngiba were killed in the resulting gun battle and two Maphumulo security guards, Dube and Petros Mkhize were wounded.
• The one-year-old son of a Maphumulo rank manager was killed and the boy’s 12-year-old brother was injured after an attack on their house in Maphumulo on January 16, 2015.
• A Maphumulo Taxi Association member Sbu Sokhela was gunned down in KwaDukuza, Townview Road last April. Sokhela was killed in his car at about 7pm and the perpetrators burnt their getaway car on the R74,  four to five kilometres from the scene of the crime.

In July last year, the Maphumulo Taxi Association were given a final warning by the former MEC for transport community safety and liaison Willies Mchunu.

Mchunu said the Maphumulo taxi rank would be closed should another incident of taxi violence occur.

Three taxis were burnt at the rank and a driver and a student were shot and seriously injured in May last year.

“After that incident cabinet said I must close the rank if they are not prepared to stop fighting,” said Mchunu.

Although the rule was set for Maphumulo, Mchunu was clear that other taxi associations should not see that as an opportunity to stir up trouble in the hope of closing their rival down.

He said they would launch an investigation before they close the rank and if another association is found to be instigating the violence, they will be dealt with accordingly.

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