SAPS taxi violence task team to probe brutal KwaZulu-Natal massacre

The provincial taxi task team has been instructed to probe today’s mass shooting outside Ladysmith‚ in which a taxi boss and nine others were killed.

A taxi conflict is believed to have sparked the massacre‚ eNCA.com reported earlier. Police have identified the taxi boss as the deputy chairman of the Klipriver Taxi Association.

"Today at 7am‚ the taxi boss was travelling in a bakkie on Matiwaneskop Road with other four occupants‚ when two vehicles allegedly fired shots at them with high-calibre firearms‚” a police statement revealed. "The victims lost control of their vehicle and crashed into an oncoming minibus taxi."

Five passengers – believed to be teachers – in the minibus died‚ while others were seriously injured.

"A docket of five counts of murder and [five of] culpable homicide was opened at Elandslaagte police station‚ and it will be transferred to the provincial taxi task team for investigation. The motive of the attack is subject to an ongoing investigation‚" the statement added.

KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner‚ Major-General Bheki Langa‚ said: "Such violent attacks cannot be tolerated in our province. Our detectives are on their toes‚ working to solve the case. Serious and violent crimes are [of] upmost importance [to deal with]‚ to maintain the safety of our citizens." - TimesLIVE