Two men shot dead in hail of gunfire in Pietermaritzburg CBD

Two men were shot dead while sitting in a bakkie in the Pietermaritzburg central business district on Monday.

Netcare 911’s Shawn Herbst said paramedics responded to shootings on the corner of Boshoff and Burger streets.

“Reports indicate two adult males sustained multiple gunshot wounds while seated in their bakkie. Paramedics assessed both patients. However, they showed no signs of life and were declared deceased on the scene,” he said.

“According to members of the public who were on scene when the shooting occurred, they believe it may be related to the taxi industry.”

Herbst said the circumstances surrounding the shooting were unknown and the police were at the scene.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Col Thembeka Mbele confirmed two charges of murder were being investigated by Pietermaritzburg police.

“The two men sustained gunshot wounds to the upper body and were declared dead at the scene. The suspects fled the scene in a getaway vehicle.”

There were several taxi-related protests in the city last week after a standoff between rival taxi associations over routes.

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