Taxi boss gunned down in his home

Exchange of fire inside home results in death, with gunman wounded

The widow of an Eastern Cape taxi boss, who was also a church leader, has opened her heart about the shock of losing her husband in a hail of bullets at their home this week.

Uncedo Taxi Association’s former Elliotdale chair,

Mbuzeni Madala Mrhwebi, 63, died in the arms of his wife, Nozuko, shot by a lone gunman in full view of his children and grandchildren at his KuGengqe village home on Saturday.

The couple had been married for 20 years.

“He had just arrived and was in our bedroom when I heard gunshots. I rushed to him and found him falling at the doorway of our bedroom. I lifted his head and shouted his name and asked who shot him.

“He just looked at me and died in my arms moments later,” the widow said.

Mrhwebi’s six children and five grandchildren were present when the shootout took place.

“The children are so terrified. Seeing my husband taking his last breath, watching me struggle, we are all so traumatised. All of it just continues to play over and over in my mind as if it is still happening,” she said.

How the killer sneaked into the house is unknown.

Police found more than 10 empty cartridges. There had been a shootout between Mrhwebi and the killer, who is likely injured.

“The injured killer left his blood stains on the floor inside the house, outside and on the poles of the fence where he jumped over,” said Nozuko.

Mrhwebi survived four previous attempts on his life — in 1999 and last year in July, August and October.

Other members of the family have also fallen victim to taxi violence. Mrhwebi’s son Mawethu was a driver affiliated with Uncedo. He was gunned down near the Elliotdale taxi rank on October 30 last year, five days after a neighbour who was also a taxi owner, Thembinkosi Mthi, was also killed.

Mrhwebi’s first wife, Nosapho, was shot dead in 1999 at KuGengqe while travelling with Mrhwebi in their car.

The widow and her brothersin-law, Phangilizwe Mrhwebi and Lungile Vokwana, said the family was devastated as he had been the head of the Mrhwebi family, a spiritual, peace-loving person, a God-fearing man and the leader of AmaQoma tribe in Elliotdale and Mqanduli.

Mrhwebi was an archbishop and founder of the Jerusalem Apostolic Faith Church in Zion and a member of the chaplaincy of Uncedo.

“He was a loving husband, loved his children and the whole family of Mrhwebi and

AmaQoma and was committed to the taxi industry. Even my pleas for him to leave the taxi industry could not help. He was a man of truth and was a downto-earth people’s person,” said the grieving widow.

A shocked Uncedo president Ntsikelelo Gaehler said: “We urge police to make a speedy arrest. Spilling blood destroys the taxi industry and inflicts pain on innocent families.”

Mrhwebi will be buried on June 13 at KuGengqa.