CHAOS broke out in the Nelspruit central business district yesterday when taxi drivers exchanged gunfire and smashed the windows of more than 20 minibuses.

CHAOS broke out in the Nelspruit central business district yesterday when taxi drivers exchanged gunfire and smashed the windows of more than 20 minibuses.

The conflict, which occurred next to the main taxi rank in the city and left three people seriously injured, was allegedly triggered by a dispute over the use of routes.

Mandlakayise Dube of the White Hazy Taxi Association, said the fighting started because certain taxi associations had 34 platforms "while we only have six".

"Let them kill us because we are ready to die. They cannot take everything from us," Dube said.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Superintendent Malcolm Mokomeni told Sowetan that police arrested five people - one of them was taken to hospital in an ambulance under police guard.

Mokomeni said: "A taxi from Hazyview was attacked along the way, and when it reached Nelspruit taxi rank, all hell broke loose."