The Inanda taxi rank manager alleged to have shot and killed and Uber driver at one of the township’s taxi rank after he had picked up his sister and two friends remains behind bars following the completion of his trial on Thursday in the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court where the matter was adjourned for judgment. Picture: Anelisa Kubheka
Durban — The taxi rank manager accused of shooting and killing an Uber driver for picking up three passengers from a rank in Inanda will know his fate at the end of this month.
On Thursday the trial of Xolani Mduduzeni Nzuza, who is accused of murdering e-hailing driver Siyabonga Patrick Soni, was concluded in the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court.
It’s alleged that Soni arrived at the Kwamshayazafe taxi rank in Inanda and picked up three female passengers (his sister and her friends), taking them to another rank in the area. Nzuza is alleged to have followed Soni to the KwaMkhize taxi rank where he fired two shots at him through an open window, killing him.
Siyethamba Mhlongo, who had been seated in the front with Soni, was hit by a bullet that ricocheted – Nzuza faces an attempted murder charge in this regard.
When Nzuza took the stand as the only witness for the defence, it emerged that the incident took place at a time when Ubers had been banned from operating in Inanda by the taxi association.
Nzuza alleged that Soni had not said that the three passengers he was taking to KwaMkhize taxi rank were his sister and friends, which was contrary to what the three State witnesses had testified.
He also disputed in court that he had followed Soni to the KwaMkhize taxi rank, but said he had gone there to check on a request he had made via phone for taxis to commute passengers from KwaMshayazafe and to report to the association’s officer that an Uber had taken passengers from his rank.
Once at the rank he saw a group of people, and that they were gathered round Soni, who was wounded.
“The accused disputes that he is the person who shot the deceased, he disputes that he was in possession of a firearm on that day and he further disputes ever having had a licence for a firearm. He disputes having any ill will against the deceased and Miss Mhlongo,” said Nzuza’s counsel, Jennifer Uba in her address to the court.
She said on the day in question he was carrying out duties, which included to go report an incident that happened at Mshayazafe and a shortage of taxis.
“On the accused’s version, this is the only reason that he was at the scene. The accused being at the scene was a mere coincidence, and the State in its evidence wants somebody to blame.”
State prosecutor Kaystree Ramsamujh said the three witnesses who testified in court were good witnesses. She said while there were discrepancies between their evidence in chief and their statements made to the police, these were minor.
“Their evidence was corroborated by the post-mortem report, which said the deceased died as a result of gunshot wounds. They did not hesitate about who shot the deceased as they knew the accused even before the incident. The version of the accused is a total fabrication riddled with inconsistencies.”
Before Magistrate Ravi Pillay adjourned the matter for his judgment on October 31, he questioned why Nzuza could not just phone the association office to report what happened instead of going there, to which Nzuza said he did not have the number and their instructions were to physically report incidents.
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