Durban - At least 120 shots were fired during the Brook Street taxi rank shooting in which three people were killed, the Durban Magistrate’s Court was told on Thursday.
The officer investigating the September 16 shooting told the court that although only three people were killed and two wounded, crime scene investigators found 120 spent cartridges at the rank.
Dlamini was testifying in the bail hearing of 11 men accused of orchestrating the shooting.
The eleven, who claim to be members of the Berea Long Distance Taxi Association, face three counts of murder, two of attempted murder and one of public violence.
There was a heavy police presence with several heavily armed police men in the court room and in the halls outside the court room.
The State is claiming that the men, although not officially registered, were all operating for the Sonke Long Distance Taxi Association which is trying to muscle in on the routes operated by the Zamokuhle Long Distance Taxi Association between Durban and Port Shepstone.
The 11 accused claimed that on September 16 they were at the taxi rank to monitor problems that the Berea association was having with the Matatiele Drakensberg Long Distance Taxi Association, when the shoot-out with Zamokuhle security personnel erupted.
However, Dlamini said: “According to the information I have from the PRE (Provincial Regulating Entity) nobody has a bay at Brook Street”.
Dlamini said that when a person joined an association, the association had to register their details with the PRE.
He said he was still awaiting forensic evidence such as ballistic reports, DNA evidence and primer residue tests which would show who shot guns.
Under cross examination, Dlamini told the court that charges against Zamokuhle security personnel were withdrawn by the prosecution.
He was unable to comment on the reasons, except to say that he had arrested every one involved in the shooting.
The bail hearing continues.
ANA