/ 9 September 1998

Taxi chief denies knowlege of violence

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Pietermaritzburg | Wednesday 9.00pm.

AN executive member of the Mpumalanga Taxi Association told the Pietermaritzburg magistrate’s court on Wednesday that he is uanaware of any taxi-related violence.

Delani Mncube, charged with murder, was appearing at his bail applictaion.

He conceded that he knew five taxi operators, including former MTA chairman Kusakusa Paul Mthetwa, who had been shot dead on separate occasions. He also said he knew Maxwell Mata, a prominent Mpumulanga taxi boss who was shot dead on Tuesday, but was not aware that he had been killed.

Mncube was arrested along with Themba Shabalala, Bonginkosi Manyoni and Bayi Shozi on July 30 during a sting operation by the specialist Kwazulu-Natal Violence Investigation Unit. They were charged with murdering Bantu Khuzwayo on April 29.

Inspector Lionel Groenewald, a member of the specialist unit, said the bail application had to be moved from Camperdown magistrate’s court to Pietermaritzburg because of ”a real threat” to the safety of court staff. The application was adjourned to Thursday.