A joint multidisciplinary operation was conducted yesterday at Sundumbili searching for a suspect involved in multiple taxi related murder cases committed in Mandeni and surrounding areas.

The team proceeded to a house at Gcotsheni in Sundumbili where they spotted a group of people chanting and singing inside the rondavel. When they approached the rondavel they were met by a hail of bullets. Following a shootout, police entered the house and two suspects were arrested after they were found in possession of two revolvers with 16 rounds of ammunition. They were detained for being in illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

A further search was conducted at the premises and an additional six firearms were seized by police. The main suspect fled the scene during the shootout with his accomplices. The two suspects aged 24 and 29 are appearing at the Nyoni Magistrates' Court today.

The team returned to the same homestead in the evening and found the suspect who fled the scene in the morning, busy at his wedding ceremony about to take his wedding vows. The 37-year-old suspect was then placed under arrest. He is linked to a murder committed in June 2019 at Mandeni.

It is alleged that on 14 June 2019 at 20:20, Siyabonga Mbonambi (53) who was a taxi owner, was at a service station in Mandeni when two suspects alighted from a vehicle and opened fire at him. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was declared dead at the scene. A case of murder was opened at Mandeni SAPS for further investigation. The arrested suspect is also linked to other taxi related cases committed in Mandeni and surrounding areas. He will appear at the Nyoni Magistrates' Court tomorrow.

The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula hailed the team for the recovery of the eight firearms and for the arrest of the most wanted suspect. "We will endeavour with all the resources available to us to apprehend those involved in criminal activities within the taxi industry," he said.