Elderly man killed, wife hospitalised after armed suspects storm residence
A 70-year-old taxi owner was shot dead and his wife seriously wounded when armed intruders forced their way into their Camperdown home, prompting a swift police operation that led to two arrests within hours of the brutal attack.
Phumezweni Masikane and his 55-year-old wife were asleep at their Kingfisher Road residence on the evening of Friday, 8 May 2015, when two suspects broke into the house at approximately 22:30. The intruders demanded money from the couple before allegedly opening fire, killing Masikane. His wife sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to hospital for medical treatment. The attackers then fled the scene.
A case of murder, attempted murder and house robbery was registered at the local police station, and members of the Project Combine Action Team — widely referred to as CAT — from the Pietermaritzburg Cluster were immediately deployed to track down those responsible.
"We will investigate to establish if arrested suspects are not linked to other taxi related killings in the province. I urged the community members to work closely with the police by providing information about the whereabouts of the outstanding suspect."
Rapid arrests yield two unlicensed firearms
The vigilant CAT members wasted no time launching their pursuit. The first suspect was apprehended in the vicinity of the crime scene, found inside a VW Golf believed to have been used as a getaway vehicle. A search of the car uncovered a 9mm pistol suspected of being the weapon used during the fatal shooting.
Investigators then followed up on further leads, proceeding to Northdale where a second suspect was taken into custody. He was found in possession of an unlicensed R5 rifle along with ammunition and was promptly charged.
The two suspects, aged 21 and 25, were expected to appear before the Camperdown Magistrate's Court on 11 May 2015 to face charges of murder, attempted murder, house robbery and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. Both recovered weapons were set to be submitted for ballistic analysis to determine whether they had been used in any other criminal incidents across the province.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni praised the officers for their rapid response and the speed with which they secured the arrests. A third individual, believed by investigators to be the mastermind behind the deadly robbery, remained at large at the time. Police expressed confidence that this outstanding suspect would be apprehended in due course and appealed to members of the public to come forward with any information regarding the fugitive's whereabouts.
South Africa's taxi industry remains one of the most violence-prone sectors, and the fatal targeting of an elderly owner in his home underscores the persistent threat facing operators and their families across KwaZulu-Natal. Such attacks erode safety perceptions in affected communities, discourage investment in local transport networks, and place additional strain on policing resources. The swift arrests and ballistic testing of recovered firearms may help authorities establish whether broader criminal syndicates are driving taxi-related killings in the province.
