Taxi owners die in hail of bullets
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.
There seems to be no end to taxi violence in the Ugu region where two taxi owners were shot dead at the Lamalia robots in Gamalakhe on Monday last week.
The car the two deceased, Bheki Ngcongo and Maphiwe Shange were travelling in was riddled with bullet holes and covered in blood after the shooting.
According to sources, the incident is related to taxi violence, adding that assault rifles were used during the attack.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda said police are investigating two counts of murder after an incident where two people, aged 48 and 50, were allegedly fatally wounded by two unknown suspects on Monday.
“It is alleged that the victims were travelling from Gamalakhe township when they were ambushed and fatally shot near Lamalia robots. The suspects reportedly fled the scene in their getaway vehicle. The motive for the killing is unknown,” said Netshiunda.
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 said 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. SANTACO is pleading with associations in Ugu not to resort to violence and talk about their challenges,” said Makhunga,
He added that issues faced by associations in Ugu will not be fixed through guns.
Recently there has been a number of killings related to taxi violence in the Ugu region 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 late in 2022.
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