Five taxi men guilty of murder

2003-05-15 09:29

East London - Five members of the Melta Non-Racial Taxi Organisation were found guilty on Wednesday in Bisho High Court for the murder of two members of an opposition taxi group.

One of the Melta members, Mbuyiseli Robiyana, who was described as a public relations officer for the organisation, was found guilty of two counts of murder.

After a 45-day trial during which 36 witnesses were called, Acting Judge President Colin White and retired magistrate William Qinisile also found the five, together with three others, guilty on a variety of charges including attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and malicious injury to property.

During the taxi violence, which marred the Chalumna, Kwetyana, King William's Town and Highway taxi rank areas, two opposition taxi members, Patrick Mpusula and Watana Rasi, were shot and killed. A number of taxis were burnt and destroyed.

White said the case had its genesis in the taxi violence, which had been on-going since 1996 until the present date.

The strife started after problems over a new rank, whereafter a group broke away from Melta.

Many meetings were held between the executives of the two warring taxi organisations and members of local government, the African National Congress and civic organisations.

- SAPA