People in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, are losing hope that government intervention will stop the killings in the area.
Now, taxi drivers and owners are under attack. On Wednesday, Mdu Nkosi, a taxi owner from the notorious KwaDabhasi village, was killed in a hail of bullets.
This follows the murders of drivers Mthokozisi Mthethwa and Sipho Mahlambi, who were ambushed on their way to pick up long-distance passengers for Gauteng and Durban on October 25.
Police said nothing was taken from them.
A source told Scrolla.Africa that he didn’t believe the murders were linked to ongoing clashes in the nearby Onyango and Musi villages, where 10 people died.
“This is a new crisis involving taxi violence,” the source said.
“Last Thursday, there was a fight among drivers and owners over routes, and some were fined for nearly coming to blows. The next morning, Mthethwa and Mahlambi were killed, and now Nkosi has been murdered [on Wednesday].”
Nongoma’s deputy mayor, Babongile Sithole, expressed deep concern, fearing the pattern resembles village faction fighting.
“We’re worried because the KwaZulu-Natal premier recently sent a government delegation with police, led by MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, to calm things down,” Sithole said.
“But now, with these two drivers killed at Osuthu village, everyone is panicking.”
Buthelezi, the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, has appealed for peace in the Onyango area, where clashes between villagers have claimed 10 lives already this year.
The violence started after a fight at Sihlahla seNkosi High School, which tragically spilt over into a full-blown feud as families started seeking revenge.
Scrolla.Africa has previously reported that fights between families linked to the high school have led to multiple murders, including people targeted while travelling to Gauteng and even inside hostels.
Buthelezi has met with the community, urging them to stop the violence that has forced some to sleep in the bushes and hide in the mountains.
The MEC also stressed the importance of allowing law enforcement to investigate the murders, promising that social events like a soccer tournament in December will help reduce tensions.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda reported that five suspects have been arrested in connection with the recent murders in Nongoma.
Pictured above: Rising violence in Nongoma has pushed some residents into hiding, as 10 villagers and three taxi drivers, including a taxi owner, have been killed.
Image source: X
