KZN Police Commissioner Leads Crucial Talks Between Rival Taxi Associations

• KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi will lead a crucial meeting to ease tensions between the KwaMaphumulo and KwaDukuza taxi associations
• The decades-long rivalry, focused on the lucrative Stanger–Maphumulo route, has historically led to violence, road closures, and disruptions for residents
• Authorities aim to address the root causes of disputes and prevent further conflict, with all permit-holding operators and government officials expected

STANGER – KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is set to preside over a high-stakes meeting aimed at easing tensions between two rival taxi associations in the province.

The talks, held on 14 March 2026, will focus on disputes between the KwaMaphumulo Taxi Association and the KwaDukuza Taxi Association, whose rivalry, spanning approximately 40 years, has been marked by deadly violence over lucrative taxi routes.

According to reports, the long-standing feud primarily concerns control of the Stanger–Maphumulo route, a profitable corridor that has historically fueled clashes between the associations. While fatalities have occurred in the past, recent incidents have involved road closures that disrupt residents’ access to schools, workplaces, and essential services.

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Previous interventions

Multiple government interventions have attempted to resolve the conflicts. In 2022, the Pietermaritzburg High Court ruled on a dispute initiated by the KwaDukuza Association seeking to invalidate the KwaMaphumulo Association’s operating license, which was ultimately upheld. Former Police Minister Bheki Cele also set up a tribunal in a bid to mediate between the groups, while officials such as Sboniso Duma have previously held meetings to address disputes.

KZN Spokesperson clarifies police involvement

Spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal Police, Robert Netshiunda, emphasised the importance of the upcoming closed-door session. He further said they are expecting all operators holding valid permits to attend, along with government officials.

"General Mkhwanazi has taken this on personally because any feud can lead to violence. Police cannot simply react after deaths occur; we need to identify the root causes and prevent further bloodshed over taxi routes,” he said.

Netshiunda added that while there have been no recent killings, acts of intimidation ,as road closures, have caused significant disruption.

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“We cannot allow people to be inconvenienced or put at risk. We are dealing with individuals whose actions directly affect lives, and it is our duty to intervene before violence escalates,” he said.

The meeting represents one of the latest efforts to resolve a rivalry that has defined taxi operations in the province since the late 1980s, with authorities hoping for a breakthrough in restoring peace along the contested Stanger–Maphumulo route.

Two people killed in taxi violence in Ladysmith

In related news, two people lost their lives in the ongoing taxi violence in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, on 15 July 2024. Two others were severely injured when armed men shot at a taxi near St Chads. The fifth driver allegedly managed to escape unscathed. Officials believe the attack could be linked to the ongoing Klipriver Taxi Association conflict over the Joburg-Ladysmith route. KZN police confirmed that they were reportedly investigating two counts of murder and two of attempted murder.

Articles on taxi violence

• Briefly News reported that three taxi drivers have been killed in three shootings in two days in Cape Town, sparking concerns about ongoing gun violence. Two of the shootings happened in Seawinds, in the Southern Suburbs, while the other occurred in nearby Lavender Hill.
• The South African Police Service (SAPS) is investigating a suspected taxi violence incident in Tubatse, Limpopo, after two taxi association members were shot on 20 June 2025, and one of them died.
• A criminal expert accused the South African Police Service (SAPS) of failing to arrest suspects related to taxi violence. He spoke as three people were shot dead at a taxi rank in Delft, Cape Town, on 12 March 2026.

Source: Briefly News