TAXIMAN STABBED 18 TIMES BY ‘CLIENT’, DIES

MBABANE – A taxi driver died after being brutally stabbed 18 times at Fairview South, by people he was transporting last Wednesday night.

Sandile Dlamini, aged 54, was reportedly stabbed all over the body. According to sources, Dlamini received a call after a client had been referred to him. The deceased used the Bhunu Mall, opposite Standard Bank, as his taxi stand. The supposed customer, who is now a suspect, is said to have sought Dlamini’s services, to chauffer him from Fairview South to New Village, Matsapha. Fairview South is a township located just less than four kilometres from the Manzini Central Business District (CBD),while New Village is about seven kilometres away.

It was claimed that during a telephonic communication between Dlamini and his supposed client, the former had requested that the suspect walk to the main road as the terrain where he had wanted to be fetched from is in bad shape for him to drive through. Sources claimed that the pair met and the client requested that they go via New Village and proceeded to Magevini in Matsapha, which is about eight kilometres from Manzini CBD. At Magevini, it is claimed that the suspect had requested that they pick-up his acquaintance, who they later drove with to Fairview South. The sources also claimed that the taximan adhered to their instructions; however, their suspicions are that the trio disagreed when he sought his fare for the trips he had with the pair. It was claimed that the pair stabbed Dlamini all over the body, about 18 times, and it is suspected that they also took an undisclosed amount of his daily earnings. The sources said the mystery was that the deceased’s mobile phones were left in the car and in a normal robbery, the phones would have been stolen.

Colleagues

It is worth noting that there are contrasting versions of where the deceased was murdered, as some of his colleagues suspect that he was killed at Fairview South and dumped there. Another version is that he was supposedly murdered at New Village and his body dumped at Fairview South. A relative to the taxi man said: “We are distraught by this incident as he was a humble soul.” The deceased’s next-of-kin said he received a call on Thursday morning, informing him that Dlamini had passed on after being stabbed all over the body. He alleged that Dlamini was stabbed 18 times. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, confirmed the murder and arrest.

She said on Thursday, a 22-year-old man of New Village was arrested and charged with murder after a 54-year-old man of Maliyaduma was found dead inside a car, with multiple stab wounds all over the body while at Fairview South. She said the deceased was found at around 4:40am. Meanwhile, this publication has it in authority that the suspect in this murder was out on bail for criminal offences linked to money laundering. He is said to be one of the accused people, who were paraded at Manzini Magistrates Court for partaking in the ‘facata’ scam.  On the other hand, there has been a number of violent cases where taxi men were brutally murdered by their supposed clients.

Among them is Majahonke Vilane, (36).Also killed was Sabelo Phiri. Meanwhile, taxi operators in Manzini have expressed deep concern for their safety, citing the inherent risks associated with their profession. They argue that the industry lacks adequate protection measures, leaving them vulnerable to attacks. One operator explained that while they maintain good relationships with loyal customers, the constant need to earn a living compels them to agree to journeys from unknown passengers, often to unfamiliar locations. “We fear for our lives because if you’re targeted, there’s little chance of survival,” he said. The industry has called on government to consider issuing provisional firearm licences to taxi drivers, allowing them to defend themselves against potential threats. However, they emphasised the importance of strict regulations to prevent misuse of such licenses.

It is worth noting that in a recent report, taxi operators, who are known to carry dangerous weapons in their vehicles, revealed that it was for their protection. They are known to carry slashers, bush knives, home-made spears and dangerous knives and these weapons are usually placed at the back of the driver’s seat. The taxi drivers said they carry such weapons to defend themselves from violent customers. The taxi men said they had also been hijacked and kidnapped in their line of duty by criminals posing as customers.  “Kidnapping seems to be on the rise. One of our colleagues was recently hijacked and kidnapped by two men posing as customers at Ngwenya. Maybe if he had a weapon in his car, he could have been able to defend himself because they also assaulted him,” he said. 

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