LIBODE, Eastern Cape — A taxi boss was killed in a shootout with police in Libode early yesterday morning, marking a critical escalation in the investigation surrounding the recent ambush and deaths of two police officers in the region. The National Intervention Unit (NIU) was executing a search warrant at a residence in Mpindweni when an exchange of gunfire left the senior taxi industry figure fatally wounded.
According to police representatives, the operation unfolded at approximately 3:00 a.m. when the NIU, alongside other South African Police Service (SAPS) units, acted on intelligence tied to the property of the deceased. During the confrontation, a firearm allegedly used in the shootout was seized by authorities. Forensic teams have since collected the body, and the scene remains active as investigators continue to gather evidence. The wife of the deceased reportedly remains inside the property and has denied media access to the premises.
Police officials have categorically stated that the deceased taxi boss was directly linked to the fatal shooting of two police officers a few days prior. Those officers, aged 31 and 51, were ambushed in the Ziphunzana Location near Libode while responding to a robbery incident. One officer belonged to the Public Order Policing Unit, and the other to the National Intervention Unit. This latest fatality brings the total number of individuals gunned down by the NIU in connection with the police killings to four. Two other suspects related to the case remain in police custody.
However, representatives from the Mata Taxi Owners Association and local taxi operators present at the scene dispute the official police narrative. Speaking on behalf of the deceased, these industry spokespersons allege that the shootout was not connected to the police ambush, but rather stemmed from violent infighting over senior chairmanship positions within the Eastern Cape taxi industry. Furthermore, these representatives alleged that certain police officers are acting under the influence of senior provincial politicians who are siding with a rival faction vying for control of the taxi association’s leadership.
As conflicting narratives continue to emerge, authorities maintain that the raid was a direct follow-up to the police killings. The two suspects currently in custody are expected to appear in court in the coming days as the broader investigation into the ambush and subsequent police interventions proceeds.
