Life Sentences for Taxi Hitmen Who Wreaked Havoc in KwaZulu-Natal

Life Behind Bars: Taxi Hitmen Sentenced in KwaZulu-Natal

Taxi violence has once again cast a long, dark shadow over KwaZulu-Natal, but this time, the courts have hit back with one of the harshest sentences yet. Two men, linked to a wave of bloodshed in the province’s troubled taxi industry, will never taste freedom again after the Pietermaritzburg High Court sentenced them to life plus a combined 90 years behind bars.

A Gruesome Night in Nongoma

On 13 March 2021, what began as an ordinary evening in Emakholweni, Nongoma, turned into a nightmare. Armed with guns and malice, 35-year-old Zakhele Bhobho Nkosi and 30-year-old Simphokuhle Ayanda Mathe stormed into the home of a local taxi owner.

Inside, they found his wife. She was robbed of cash, then shot twice in the head in a cold-blooded act that shook the community. The taxi owner himself narrowly escaped death, he was outside at the time. But the violence did not end there.

Months later, on 17 December 2021, the same taxi boss survived another attempt on his life when gunmen riddled his home with bullets. The attacks bore all the hallmarks of the bloody turf wars that have plagued KwaZulu-Natal’s lucrative taxi industry for decades.

Painstaking Investigations Pay Off

The breakthrough came in Ulundi, when police arrested Nkosi as a passenger in a minibus taxi. On him, they found a firearm with its serial number filed off and 15 rounds of ammunition. Ballistics later revealed the gun had been stolen from a police sergeant ambushed on the R66.

Further probing led officers to Mathe, who too was carrying an untraceable weapon. Both men were quickly linked to the murder and attempted hits in Nongoma.

The Provincial Taxi Violence Unit a specialised police team set up to tackle the deep-rooted crisis in the industry painstakingly pieced together the evidence that finally brought the killers to justice.

Sentences That Match the Brutality

The court handed down sentences designed to keep the men off the streets for good.

• Nkosi: Life for murder, 20 years for armed robbery, 20 years for robbing a police officer, 15 years for unlawful firearm possession, and 5 years for ammunition.

• Mathe: Life for murder, 15 years for robbery, and 15 years for attempted murder.

Together, that amounts to life plus 90 years.

A Glimpse Into a Larger War

For many South Africans, these sentences offer some measure of justice, but they also shine a light on a brutal reality: taxi violence is far from over. KwaZulu-Natal, in particular, has seen decades of bloody battles between rival associations, leaving countless families shattered.

On social media, reactions have been a mix of relief and frustration. Some users applauded the police for finally cracking the case, while others asked the harder question: how many more lives must be lost before the taxi industry is properly regulated and its deep-rooted corruption addressed?

More Than Just a Sentencing

This case is about more than two men. It is a reflection of the violent undercurrents within one of South Africa’s most vital, yet deadly, industries. The minibus taxi sector transports millions daily, but behind the scenes, it is also a battleground where greed and power too often outweigh human life.

For the family of the slain woman in Nongoma, justice may feel incomplete. No sentence can undo the horror of that night. But with Nkosi and Mathe off the streets for good, the court has sent a clear message: in KwaZulu-Natal’s taxi wars, the days of impunity may be drawing to an end.

{Source: The Citizen}

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