Durban - The ongoing taxi violence in uMzinyathi has taken a turn as a driver, believed to be one of the people who allegedly instigated the violence in that region, dodged a hail of bullets while carrying passengers.
On Friday, three hitmen died in a shoot-out with police after they allegedly opened fire on a minibus taxi carrying passengers en route from Inanda to uMzinyathi.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said the alleged hitmen, who were also travelling in a minibus taxi, opened fire on police who were in pursuit and their vehicle lost control falling into a ditch in Emachobeni.
He said five female passengers were injured in the taxi that was travelling from Bridge City in KwaMashu to Umzinyathi.
Naicker said in uMzinyathi, the taxi was shot at by occupants of the other taxi that had been following it.
“Cases of attempted murder and inquest have been registered.”
The ongoing violence was over the Wolawola route in the uMzinyathi area that the Inanda Taxi Association allegedly hijacked in 2004.
According to a source, the violence was a ploy to capture the small uMzinyathi Taxi Association for the Inanda Taxi Association to take over the route.
The last reported incident in the media was in July last year when seven passengers were injured in Inanda in a taxi attack.
One of the injured passengers later died in hospital.
Two weeks before the incident, a 55-year-old passenger died and seven others were injured in another attack on the M25 near the Inanda Newtown B turn off.
The taxi was affiliated to Ndwedwe and the District Taxi Association driven from Durban to uMzinyathi.
In August after these shootings, late Transport MEC Bheki Ntuli announced the department’s intention to shut the uMzinyathi and Ndwedwe route.
According to a source, the violence has not stopped, with Inanda Taxi Association still operating the route.
“The hits were being made to look like uMzinyathi and Ndwedwe were at war Meanwhile it's a plan to kill off uMzinyathi,” he said.
According to the uMzinyathi Taxi Association member, the violence over 2004, 2008, 2010, 2016, 2018 and in 2020 has seen 200 people dead which included passengers, drivers, owners and rank managers.
He said 70 taxis were shot at, about 500 people injured, 500 houses burnt and 15 taxis torched.
Department spokesperson Kwanele Ncalane said the situation in Ndwedwe and District was “seriously bad and unacceptable” with commuters soft targets for gunmen.
“Commuters should be protected against all forms of violence and abuse as clients. The department working with the South African National Taxi Council continues with the process of making interventions in the area and we are hoping a solution will soon be found by the two groups. Police deployments and operations are still there and we will engage the police to consider increasing them. We will continue to work until we are able to find a solution.”
The Daily News