Mourners ambushed
Eleven dead, 2 survive KZN road attack
KWAZULU-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Mxolisi Kaunda has ordered a full investigation into the murder of 11 people who were killed in Colenso, near Ladysmith, returning from the funeral of a Gauteng taxi operator near Greytown.
Kaunda, who visited the crime scene at Colenso yesterday, strongly condemned the attack and committed the police to work around the clock to ensure the suspects were apprehended. Kaunda expressed his condolences to the families of the 11 deceased and wished the two victims who survived a speedy recovery.
He also distanced the incident from the ongoing taxi conflicts in Ladysmith, which have resulted in the suspension of some operations belonging to the Sizwe and Klipriver Taxi Associations.
“We have not found any evidence that this incident is related to taxi conflicts in Ladysmith or anywhere else in the province. The areas has been stable since the government intervened. There are strong indications, however, that this incident is related to taxi conflict in Gauteng,” said Kaunda.
Police are investigating 11 murder and two attempted murder cases. Investigations have been taken over by the provincial police task team.
Kaunda said the government would continue to encourage taxi operators to resolve their dispute through constructive engagement, instead of resorting to violence.
National police commissioner Khehla Sitole also condemned the senseless killing and announced that a special task team would probe the incident.
The killings took place on Saturday night, national police spokesperson Vish Naidoo said.
Preliminary reports indicated that the 11 were among 17 people travelling back to Johannesburg in a minibus taxi after a funeral in KZN. Unknown gunmen opened fire on the taxi, fatally wounding 11 people. Four others were critically wounded and recuperating in hospital, while two escaped unharmed.
Sitole activated a 72-hour action plan comprised of officers from specialised SAPS units, including crime intelligence, the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks), detectives, and the special task force to trace and apprehend those responsible for the killings, Naidoo said.
KZN acting police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and his management team would oversee the investigation. “We will wait for the investigation to advance before speculating on a motive,” Sitole said.
Earlier, Naidoo said: “On the R74 road between Colenso and Weenen, unknown persons jumped on to the road from the bushes and opened fire on the taxi. Unconfirmed information for now indicates that passengers were from a taxi association in Gauteng, attending the funeral of one of their members.”
Also condemning the murders was chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on police, Francois Beukman, who said the committee had highlighted that to deal with crime effectively, there was a need to eliminate illegal firearms used to perpetrate these acts. A safety strategy for the taxi industry was also necessary, as a large number of people depended on this service, plus the impact these crimes had on families, he said. – African News Agency (ANA) and Staff Reporter.