Court orders transfer of accused taxi boss's case

A court has ordered taxi boss, Bonke Makalala, who was arrested in Gauteng on Sunday to be transferred to Cape Town where he’d face a charge of murder. 

Makalala, who owns several other businesses in Nyanga, Cape Town, is accused of killing another taxi boss in 2019 in the Western Cape.

He was arrested on Sunday when police wanted to effect three warrants of arrest related to the 2019 murder and three others of being in possession of an unlicensed firearm in Nyanga and Emfuleni in 2018 and 2020.

Upon his arrest on Sunday in East Silver Lakes, Pretoria, police discovered another firearm; he was subsequently arrested for the firearm, police confiscated a laptop, three smartphones and two vehicles – a Mazda Cx5 and a Ford Ranger 2022 model.

Makalala was arrested by a joint operation held between detectives from three provinces – the Western Cape, Gauteng and Eastern Cape – at his premises in East Silver Lakes where it is believed he was hiding.

“The adult man [Makalala] was identified as the prime suspect and arrested on various warrants of arrest for a Nyanga murder and double attempted murder case which was issued against the perpetrator,” the police said on Sunday through a statement.

Makalala made his first appearance before the Pretoria magistrate’s court on Monday for possession of an unlicensed firearm before magistrate Desiree Stigling, who ordered him to be transferred to Cape Town central police station to face the charges of murder on Thursday.

He will again appear before the Pretoria magistate’s court next year for formal bail application. The National Prosecuting Authority has told the court that they will oppose bail.

A police officer, close to the investigation, said the arrest will crack-down numerous cases that are under investigation.

“More arrests are set to follow for the crimes that previously took place in Nyanga in the past years where scores of people were killed because of fights involving taxi owners,” he said.