Eight people, among them two taxi owners, have been killed down in two drive-by shootings in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday. One more person in recovering in hospital.
According to provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, four men aged between 30 and 43 years old were fatally wounded by unknown suspects on the N2 Northbound, Dududu off ramp.
He said the deceased were seated inside a vehicle when a white double cab bakkie approached then and unknown number of suspects opened fire, killing three people on the spot.
"One suspect succumbed to gunshot injuries in hospital. A fifth man is recovering in hospital under police guard after preliminary investigations unearthed that he was on the police's wanted list for a murder which he allegedly committed in Harding in February 2020," Netshiunda said.
Police confirmed that two of the deceased are local taxi owners.
Netshiunda said the motive of the killings is yet to be established but taxi-related violence could not be ruled out.
He said an AK 47 assault rifle, two fully loaded AK 47 magazines, one pistol with loaded magazine were found inside the vehicles which the deceased had parked behind each other on the roadway.
Meanwhile, four people, aged between 28 and 34, were gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Wiggins.
Police responded to reports of a shooting at the intersection of Wiggins and Carlow roads.
"The deceased are from Dunbar in Wiggins and were shot by a man driving in a vehicle. The motive of the killings is unknown at this stage. Police investigations are underway," Netshiunda said.
Speaking to IOL, Bonela Community Policing Forum chairperson, Preggy Govender, said around 27 gunshots were fired.
“I was standing near the scene when I heard gunshots. Residents ran and the men continued shooting,” Govender said.
This shooting comes just days after a three-year-old girl and a 68-year-old man were killed while seated in the lounge of their home. According to a report, their home in Cardon Close, Bonela, came under fire at 9pm.
The man and child were sitting in the lounge next to each other when three armed men emerged from the front entrance and opened fire.
The child was shot in the stomach and the man was shot multiple times.
IOL