Taxi boss shot, 3 men in hiding as tensions simmer

An East London taxi boss is recovering in hospital after he was shot and wounded on Saturday evening outside his Mdantsane NU13 home.

Three members of a rival taxi association and their drivers have fled the province amid fears of another taxi war.

Michael Mpunga, 64, the chairperson of the Mdantsane East London Taxi Association (Meta), was shot three times.

This after members of the Uncedo Service Taxi Association clashed with their Border Alliance Taxi Association (Bata) counterparts in East London on Friday over the King William’s Town operating route. Meta is affiliated to Bata. On Monday, family spokesperson Mandlenkosi Fezani, 50, said Mpunga was recovering in hospital after a successful operation in which doctors removed a bullet from his stomach.

“Three bullets were fired at him, two scraped the head and the right arm. One bullet penetrated through the back and got stuck in his stomach.”

Fezani said Mpunga had just got out of his car when he was ambushed by an unknown number of people.

“He parked in the driveway and got out of the vehicle to open the gate. All the bullets were fired from behind him. He told us he didn’t see anything and just woke up in hospital.”

Cambridge police spokesperson Captain Mluleki Mbi confirmed that they were investigating a case of attempted murder.

“The incident took place after 7pm. The police are looking for two assailants. No one has been arrested at this moment.”

The three men who fled their homes are executive members of associations affiliated to Uncedo.

South African National Taxi Association Council (Santaco) president Noluntu Mahashe said the three had told her that they had noticed they were being followed.

Uncedo president Gabs Mtshala said their executives were being “hunted” down.

“There are people stalking them and we are aware that there is a hit list out and their names are on it.”

Mtshala condemned the violence.

He said Monday’s meeting between the rival associations, which was meant to iron out the dispute, was cancelled after Border leaders said “there won’t be a need for it any more”.

Meta provincial secretary Michael Mba said the association was deeply shocked over the shooting, and dismissed the allegations that Meta was planning an attack on Uncedo and their affiliate members.

Mba said at a “peace-seeking” meeting following the fracas, Mpunga was accused of planning a hit on certain people.

“At that meeting, Mpunga got up and denied the allegations and promised the scared members that there was no such thing, but on Saturday he was attacked.”

There are people stalking them and we are aware that there is a hit list out and their names are on it