KZN Police Accused of Bias in KwaDukuza Taxi War at Nkabinde Enquiry

KZN police stand accused of taking sides in the KwaDukuza taxi war. Taxi associations in KwaZulu-Natal and local residents face the fallout, as testimony at the ongoing Nkabinde Enquiry highlights worries over law enforcement fairness amid unsolved taxi violence.

Siphamandla Mhlongo, chairperson of the KwaMaphumulo Taxi Association, testified at the Nkabinde Enquiry. He spoke about his 2009 detention by the KZN Cato Manor Organised Crime Unit.

Mhlongo also raised recent issues. He said a unit called Shanela KZN worked with the Department of Transport. They impounded KwaMaphumulo taxis, even those with valid licenses.

On the same day, police from the NIU detained KwaMaphumulo members without charges. Meanwhile, the KwaDukuza Taxi Association took over the routes.

“There is a unit that is used called Shanela KZN,” Mhlongo told the commission. “Law enforcement from the Department of Transport started impounding our taxis, even the ones that had operating licenses.”

“For me, that means there was a really coordinated move in order to threaten us to surrender this route,” he added. “And the police were used in order to assist KwaDukuza to achieve what they wanted to advance.”

Both the police and the Department of Transport declined to comment. They cited the matter before the commission.

The Nkabinde Enquiry probes Advocate Andrew Chauke’s fitness as Director of Public Prosecutions for South Gauteng. Chauke once prosecuted Cato Manor squad cases, but courts later dismissed them.

Testimony has linked the squad to a plot to kill a KwaMaphumulo taxi boss. Witnesses also described police brutality by Cato Manor officers.

One taxi owner said he now lives in fear of KZN police. Most killings between the rival KwaDukuza and KwaMaphumulo associations remain unsolved.

These claims come from commission hearings and related reports.

Mhlongo fears law enforcement may repeat past actions against KwaMaphumulo. He sees the moves as bias that lets KwaDukuza control key routes.

This fits into wider taxi wars in KZN. Unresolved violence affects drivers, passengers, and communities.

The case sits before the Nkabinde Commission. Police and transport officials hold off on comments until it wraps up.

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