Johannesburg - A taxi driver was killed in Dobsonville, Soweto, on Monday morning, just hours before he was meant to testify against a friend who stands accused of murdering his girlfriend, Gauteng police said.
In a statement, police spokesperson Captain Mpande Khoza said the taxi driver was the key witness in the Johannesburg High Court case. It was the second murder connected to the high court case after the investigating officer was also killed in a "hit".
"The deceased witnessed his best friend murdering his girlfriend in 2009. The case was taken to court but the court refuses to prosecute due insufficient evidence. The investigating officer recollected the outstanding evidence and the case was taken back to court," said Khoza.
"When it was clear that the accused was nailed on the case, he hired people to kill the investigating officer. The investigating officer was then murdered. Investigation revealed that the accused hired hitmen to kill the police officer."
The accused was convicted and sentenced to 22 years imprisonment for the police officer's murder in September this year. The case against him for his girlfriend's murder was still pending.
No arrests were made in connection with the latest murder.