Two Suspects Handcuffed Following Fatal Shooting of Richards Bay Taxi Owner
Detectives from the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Taxi Violence Unit have made a significant breakthrough, arresting two suspects linked to the murder of a Richards Bay taxi owner.
The victim was gunned down outside his residence in Meerensee on 15 September 2026.
According to reports, three armed men pulled up to his house in a white Hyundai Atos and opened fire.
Before succumbing to his wounds at the scene, the taxi boss managed to return fire, hitting one of the assailants in the leg.
The breakthrough in the investigation came when detectives traced the getaway vehicle, discovering it was a hired car. The trail initially led police to KwaMashu, where two men were briefly questioned and released on 29 September.
The operation then moved to the Durban Magistrate’s Court, where 30-year-old Sphamandla Mdlalose was appearing on an unrelated matter.
Mdlalose, who has since been identified as the individual who hired the vehicle, was arrested.
A follow-up search at his home in Ntambanana established his direct involvement as one of the three shooters.
The investigation expanded to Empangeni on Wednesday, 30 September, leading to the arrest of a second suspect.
This individual allegedly took the gunman injured in the leg to a traditional healer before transporting him to a hospital in Mooi River.
The vehicle used to transport the wounded shooter was also seized by law enforcement.
Sphamandla Mdlalose made a brief appearance in the Richards Bay Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 1 October, where he was remanded in custody. He is expected back in the dock on 7 October 2026 for bail consideration.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that investigators already know the identities of the remaining two suspects who fled the crime scene and are closing in on them.
