Taxi boss tells how he survived ambush

A TAXI boss testifying before the Durban High Court yesterday gave a shocking account of how he survived an ambush.

Bongani Mbuyisa, a taxi owner affiliated to the KwaDukuza Taxi Association, testified that he received a call informing him that his taxi had been involved in an accident. He rushed to the scene where his taxi had hit a stationary vehicle.

He told the court that the driver of the stationary vehicle boarded his vehicle destined for the panel beaters where his taxi was to be fixed.

He told the court they were ambushed by members of the Dolphin Coast Taxi Association, their rivals at eSondweni near Ballito, northern KwaZulu-Natal. He testified that he saw the gunmen kill his friend Dennis Mhlongo and Khulekani Mdletshe, the driver of the stationary vehicle.

“While I was hiding, the gunmen kept on shooting though Mhlongo was already down. Mdletshe tried to run away but he couldn ’ t get anywhere because he was not familiar with the place. The gunmen followed him and shot him several times,” Mbuyisa said.

He said the incident took place in full view of pupils and commuters who were waiting for taxis. Pupils Philani Ngema and Smanga Nhlengethwa were injured when they were hit by stray bullets.

Taxi bosses Ndoda Mthethwa, 51, Nzo Mdiniso, 50, and their bodyguard Mbhekiseni Luthuli, 30, face two counts of murder and four of attempted murder.

They have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are out on bail. The killings are part of continuous warfare between the KwaDukuza and Dolphin Coast associations over the Stanger and Ballito routes.