The murder of KwaDukuza municipal manager Nathi Mthembu last week has left residents of the town north of Durban living in fear of an upsurge in taxi violence, which has claimed close to 100 lives over the past five years.
KwaDukuza (formerly Stanger) is crawling with police and the local municipality has thrown a ring of steel around Mayor Sduduzo Gumede following threats to his life after Mthembu's murder last Thursday.
Police have been placed on high alert in case violence between the Maphumulo and KwaDukuza taxi associations erupts, and extra police units have been moved in. Police investigating Mthembu's murder have not ruled out the possibility that his killing was related to taxi violence.
Continues Below ↓
Lekho Mbatha, spokesperson for transport, community safety and liaison minister Bheki Cele, said the fact that the Durban Serious and Violent Crimes Unit was working closely with the police taxi task team on the investigation was a hint that the killing might be taxi-related.
| The two taxi associations had been feuding for 20 years |
Members of KwaDukuza's municipal community safety unit have been assigned, in addition to Gumede's personal bodyguards, to ensure that no harm befalls the mayor.
A KwaDukuza police officer who has been involved in investigating the violence said the two taxi associations had been feuding for 20 years.
The police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said violence had increased in the past four years, with taxi owners, drivers, commuters, police and municipal officials being killed. The violence had claimed about 100 lives in five years, he said.
The violence seems to have erupted again following a recent Durban High Court ruling on the operation of routes that overruled a tribunal hearing on the matter.
The tribunal, appointed by the department of transport in August, was set up to rule on a disputed route. It stopped the Maphumulo Taxi Association from using the disputed route, finding that there were errors in the association's application for an operating permit.
| Mthembu had apparently received death threats before his murder |
The Maphumulo association took the transport department to court, and less than two weeks ago the Durban High Court ruled that it would be allowed to operate the contested route pending a final judgement.
Maphumulo Taxi Association chairperson Bongani Mkhize said there had been renewed threats of violence since his members had resumed operating the disputed route. Nathi Khanyile, chairperson of KwaDukuza Taxi Association, refused to comment.
Mthembu had apparently received death threats before his murder but did not have any bodyguards. It was not the first time his life had been threatened.
On October 17, 2003, KZN violence monitor Mary de Haas faxed a letter to the station commissioner at KwaDukuza police station warning about a threat to kill Mthembu because of his failure to close the Maphumulo taxi rank in KwaDukuza.
Police at the station confirmed they had received the letter in 2003 and that Mthembu did have additional security at the time. De Haas said that in 2001 she had written to the police warning them about threats on the life of ANC councillor David Snyman, who had at the time been looking into solutions to the taxi conflict.
De Haas said that 10 days after she had written the letter he had been killed. His killers have not been found.
De Haas said she was concerned for the safety of other councillors and particularly the mayor following Mthembu's murder.
"The mayor was not the only one who has received death threats," she said.
Mthembu's murder is being investigated by the Durban Serious and Violent Crimes Unit.
- This article was originally published on page 1 of The Mercury on November 01, 2005
|
StumbleUpon
Reddit
Digg
Delicious
Newsvine
Facebook
muti
Twitter
