Media Statement
South African Police Service
Office of the Provincial Commissioner KwaZulu-Natal
 

DURBAN - The Mtubatuba Regional Court has sentenced 32-year-old Sahluko Patrick Mthembu to spend 12 years in prison after the court found him guilty of a taxi violence related attempted murder. The sentence was handed down on 31 July 2025.

On the morning of 5 December 2019, two educators hired a meter taxi to transport them to a primary school where they worked. Mthembu, who was a security guard for a taxi association, followed the meter taxi to KwaMduku area in Hluhluwe where he fired several shots towards the driver of the meter taxi without saying a word. The driver managed to escape without any injuries.

After three years of no breakthrough, the case was transferred to the Provincial Taxi Violence Unit who managed to connect Mthembu to the crime and arrested him within a month. Thorough police investigations revealed that Mthembu shot at the meter taxi driver because he accused him of transporting minibus taxi clients without authority. Police successfully managed to opposed Mthembu’s several bail applications and was kept in custody until the day of his sentencing.      

Ends

Enquiries:
Colonel Robert Netshiunda
082 569 7629

Ends

Enquiries:
Colonel Robert Netshiunda
082 569 7629

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