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The Provincial Serious and Violent Crime Investigation Unit are investigating several incidents of alleged taxi violence that took place in the Lusikisiki and Port St Johns areas, last week.
Police spokesperson, Colonel Priscilla Naidu, said that it is alleged that a taxi driver and his conductor were hijacked and kidnapped by four males driving a red VW Golf, while on their way to Mswakazi location.
“The suspects drove the victims, in their taxi, to the Mpantu taxi rank where they opened fire on the owner of the taxi and his mechanic.
“The taxi owner (44) was fatally wounded while the mechanic sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment,” said Naidu.
She said that both the taxi driver and his conductor were thereafter taken back to where they were hijacked where they were shot and killed.
According to Naidu a case of two counts of murder and kidnapping is under investigation.
Naidu added that the police have also recovered a burnt-out taxi at Second Beach in Port St Johns.
She said that circumstances and information relating to this incident are unknown.
“No case has been opened. A team of dedicated investigators from the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime Investigation Unit are currently investigating all of these taxi-related cases.
Provincial chairperson of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO), Bishop Zola Yolelo, confirmed that they were aware of this situation, and they had called a special meeting between taxi operators from Lusikisiki and taxi operators from Port St Johns, with the aim of coming up with a solution to the problem that led to the misunderstanding.
“I have called a meeting so we can sit down and try to solve this problem,” said Yolelo.
