Suspects linked to Port Shepstone mass shooting arrested

Police arrested two men allegedly linked to a taxi violence incident in Port Shepstone on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast which left four people dead and several seriously injured.

The shooting occurred at a taxi rank between Ryder Street and Nelson Mandela Drive on July 25.

It is alleged about three men armed with handguns opened fire on a taxi waiting to load passengers.

Three passengers inside the taxi and another nearby were shot dead.

It is believed the incident was linked to ongoing taxi violence in the area. 

Police said the suspects were arrested by provincial taxi violence task team members working with the tactical response team operationalised intelligence.

The suspects were cornered and the vehicle in which they were travelling was intercepted on the N2 southbound near Ballito on Tuesday afternoon.

Provincial police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said the suspects were found to be in possession of two firearms, a rifle, a pistol and several rounds of ammunition.

“One suspect was positively linked to a mass shooting in Port Shepstone,” said Netshiunda.

He said the suspects, aged 33 and 37, will appear in the KwaDukuza magistrate’s court on Thursday. 

Speaking to TimesLIVE, the chairperson of the Port Shepstone Community Policing Forum Aadil Moola confirmed ongoing taxi violence was the reason for the shooting last month.

He said all the people killed are believed to be linked to one of the Eastern Cape taxi associations and were seated in a taxi.

The perpetrators are believed to be from one of the taxi associations fighting over routes. 

He said they recently had a meeting scheduled but not all of the taxi associations came, “raising serious concerns that this violence will not end”.

TimesLIVE