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Taxi Murder latest: Cele unveils plan to solve KZN cases

A team of police investigators will focus on solving a string of taxi murder cases in KwaNongoma following an Imbizo at the weekend.

taxi murder eastern cape taxi dispute taxi route dispute

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Police Minister Bheki Cele has announced that a team of police investigators will step in to work on solving the string of taxi related murders that have rocked KwaNongoma in KwaZulu-Natal.

According to Cele’s spokesperson Lirandzu Themba, a total of 12 people have been killed in KwaNongoma since 2012 in murders connected to taxi disputes.

Cele made the announcement at a crime prevention imbizo in the area on Friday, during which residents called for police to intensify their efforts to protect them from the violence emanating from the ongoing taxi turf war. Some taxi operators also spoke out about attacks and violence against them, allegedly perpetrated by rival taxi associations.

The community engagement saw officials from the KZN Department of Transport initiate a plan, together with the South African Police Service, to ensure the safety of taxi operators and commuters. The rolling program will include a team of investigators that will work on murder cases connected to taxi violence in the area, as well as on the tracking and tracing of suspects and people who can assist authorities with solving the cases. 

“The Police Minister says the bloodshed must be stopped with immediate effect,” Themba said in a statement.

“The Transport department in this province must work harder in ensuring that only taxi operators who have valid route permits, operate in the area and those who don’t are removed from the system and not given any room to intimidate and cause harm at taxi ranks or on the road. As the police, we will continue to stamp the authority of the state and bring about public order, for the sake of this community members, especially the women children and the elderly that are reliant on getting to their destinations, safely.” 

Themba said the ministry was also encouraged by the willingness of the two main taxi associations, to meet with the police and transport officials in a bid to end the violence. 

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