GEORGE NEWS - The preliminary police investigation into the murder of local taxi owner and Uncedo chairman, Wesley Sikhumbuzo Mini (52) indicates that the taxi boss was assassinated.
The police could not confirm that more than one weapon was used to mow Mini down in a hail of bullets, but several sources close to the investigation have said that two men fired 18 shots that killed Mini.
A team led by Captain Klippies Theron, has been tasked to investigate last Thursday's shooting at Mini's home in Zone 7, Thembalethu.
Mini dropped off the legal representatives at King George Hotel after the meeting and then took Esau home before heading to his own home.
Sources this week told the George Herald that a red vehicle was seen in the vicinity of Mini's house and that two men were seen running from the scene following the shooting and driving off in the vehicle.
"At this stage robbery and theft have been eliminated as motives for the murder, as all Mr Mini's belongings were found on the scene. Our investigators have spoken to several people, but no arrests have been made. Our preliminary investigation indicates that this might have been an assassination. We are investigating all possibilities," said Pojie.
This is the second high-profile murder in the George taxi fraternity since the GO GEORGE negotiations started in 2007.The chief negotiator of the taxi industry at the GIPTN negotiation table, Tom Queba, was shot inside his taxi on the N2 highway in May 2014.
The latest murder follows just a week after mayor Melvin Naik announced that GO GEORGE buses would be rolled out in Thembalethu on 11 December.Esau and Uncedo said they and the taxi industry as a whole are "shocked and angered by this assassination".
"Mini and myself laid a complaint with the police earlier in the year after we received telephonic death threats. Even though a formal complaint was laid, to date we have received no formal feedback. These threats were made just after the first mediation session and now Mini was killed on the eve of the third mediation session."
Members of the public order police have been deployed to Thembalethu over the weekend to keep an eye on the situation which sources describe as "very tense and volatile". Rumours of possible attacks in retaliation or an outbreak of taxi violence were also rife. The George Herald was told that several taxi owners from the Uncedo taxi association, both local and from other provinces, met at the Thembalethu taxi rank at 10:00 on Sunday. After the meeting they visited Mini's home for a memorial service and to convey their condolences to his family.
Police are offering a reward for positive information which may lead to the arrest of the guilty person or persons.
Anyone with information, can contact Capt. Theron on 044 802 8900 or CrimeStop on 08600 10111.
Cornelius Esau issued the following statement on behalf of Uncedo taxi association following on the murder:
"We, Uncedo and the taxi industry are shocked and angered by the assassination of our leader and chairman, Skhumbuzo Wesley Mini. This gruesome murder of our leader took place on Thursday evening, 3 November before the start of the mediation on Friday 4 November.
"We, Uncedo and the taxi industry are shocked and angered by the assassination of our leader and chairman, Skhumbuzo Wesley Mini. This gruesome murder of our leader took place on Thursday evening, 3 November before the start of the mediation on Friday 4 November.
"Mr Mini was last seen alive by the spokesperson of the industry, Mr Cornelius Esau. After Mr Esau and the murdered chairman dropped off the lawyers for the industry at King George Hotel, the chairman dropped off Mr Esau at his home in Parkdene and left for his house in Thembalethu where he was brutally shot multiple times.
"The chairman and Mr Esau laid a complaint with the SAPS earlier this year after they received telephonic death threats. Even though a formal complaint was laid with the SAPS, until today we have received no formal feedback from them. So for Mr Pojie of the SAPS to say that the murder of our chairperson cannot be linked to anything is a lie. These threats were made just after the first mediation session and now Mr Mini is killed on the eve of the third mediation session.
"Our leader was a very soft spoken, but firm and strong chairperson. It was under his guidance and mentorship that the current leadership of the industry has become a force to be reckoned with. He was also a very humble man but never wavered in his determination to seek justice and progress for black taxi businessmen. We as a taxi industry hold on to his leadership during this time, as the industry is in turmoil.
"Mr Mini refused to sell his principles and stood by the truth and always sought justice for the black man, and for this he paid the ultimate price. He inspires us all and at this terrible time we draw strength from his unwavering spirit. I have known my leader personally and he was a mentor to myself and many others.
"To his murderers we want to say, you have robbed us of an incredible father. Justice will catch up with you. To those who have ordered his death we want to say to you, you have failed to scare us, you have failed to break our resistance. Some of us come from the trenches of fighting against the apartheid regime and we are still here and PW Botha is gone.Where one of us falls a thousand will rise. We urge the police to not only apprehend those who pulled the trigger but to make sure that they get to those who ordered the hit, otherwise these occurrences will not stop."
Click here for previous articles:
- Taxi association chairman family devastated by killing
- Update: Taxi association chairman shot & killed
- Update: Taxi association chairman killed
- Taxi association chairman shot and killed
ARTICLE: LIZETTE DA SILVA, GEORGE HERALD NEWS EDITOR
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