KZN taxi murder: Man gets double life sentence, two suspects wanted

Double life sentence for brutal taxi murder as KZN community awaits arrest of remaining suspects

Taxi violence is not new to KwaZulu-Natal, but some cases shake the province more deeply than others. This week, the Esikhaleni Regional Court handed down a heavy sentence to 28-year-old Samkelo Dumisa, marking a small victory in a story that has left families grieving and commuters anxious. Dumisa will spend two life terms plus an additional 25 years behind bars for the murder of taxi assistant Sandiso “Rasta” Magwaza, as well as the attempted murder of a taxi boss, kidnapping and robbery.

The case dates back to 18 November 2023, a day that started like any other for a minibus taxi ferrying passengers from Empangeni to Ntambanana. Nothing seemed unusual when the last passengers stepped out except for three men who chose to remain seated. According to SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda, that moment changed everything.

What followed is the kind of horror story many South Africans associate with taxi-related crime. The men allegedly pulled out guns, tied up the taxi owner and Magwaza, and forced them to Port Dunford Beach, a place known more for family outings and fishing than for violence.

A robbery turns deadly

At the shoreline, the taxi boss was robbed of cash. Then came the kind of brutality that is difficult to comprehend. Magwaza was shot dead, while the taxi owner was beaten, stabbed and strangled left to die on the sand. Miraculously, he survived, waking up two days later. It was a traditional healer performing rituals at the beach who found him and raised the alarm. Magwaza’s body washed onto the shore nearby, ending a desperate search with heartbreak.

Dumisa was later tracked down by detectives from the Provincial Taxi Violence Unit, and during his arrest, police say they recovered a firearm and ammunition. He was convicted on multiple charges a sentence many hope sends a clear judicial message.

Yet there is unfinished business. Two suspects are still on the run, and police confirm that tracking and tracing efforts are ongoing. Communities are watching closely, hoping justice will not stop halfway.

Taxi sector violence, a long shadow over KZN

KwaZulu-Natal’s taxi industry is massive, thousands of commuters rely on it daily for work, school and township-to-city travel. But beneath that essential service lies a long history of factional rivalries, hit-style killings and extortion battles. Court outcomes like this one bring relief, but they also remind South Africans of the lives lost before justice arrives, if it arrives at all.

On social media, reactions have been a mix of sorrow and exhaustion.
“Good that he’s off the streets. But what about the other two?” one Facebook user asked. Another commented, “Taxi violence is eating us alive, we’re scared but we still have to travel.”

It’s a sentiment many KZN residents share: relief at the sentence, fear that it won’t be the last case like it.

As police continue the manhunt, Magwaza’s family can at least hold onto the fact that the courts have recognised their loss, a life taken at work, not in war.

{Source: The Citizen}

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