Judgement made by the Pretoria High Court on the 16th of April 2026, has once again brought attention to the ongoing concerns about taxi violence in Atteridgeville, following the conviction of a man for the killing of a man and the injuring of 2 taxi managers.
Mr Obvious Lindokuhle Magudulela (32) was found guilty of premeditated, attempted murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances. The charges relate to the fatal shooting of taxi manager Mr Jan Njomo and the attempted murder of Mr Kgomotso Mokwena.
The court was told that on the morning of 1 July 2022, at the taxi rank, Mr Njomo got into an argument with 2 taxi marshals, during which he told them not to engage with him directly but to report their concerns to the association’s office. He then approached another taxi manager to recount the incident.
According to the evidence presented in court, it was at that moment that Mr Magudulela approached and opened fire on both men. Mr Njomo was shot and fell on the ground, while another bullet hit Mr Mokwena, who was close by. The accused allegedly continued shooting Mr Njomo before fleeing the scene. Mr Njomo was declared dead at the scene.
Mr Magudulela was arrested a month later, on 21 October 2022, in Pretoria West, where he had been hiding. He has remained in custody since his arrest after the National Prosecuting Authority opposed his bail.
According to a taxi driver, such incidents are a constant occurrence in the taxi industry that everyone knows about, stemming from conflicts over personal reasons to conflicts over passengers, so one must make sure they protect themselves one way or another.
“In this industry, we face a lot of conflicts because of disagreements, and they do not end well, so for your own safety, you often feel the need to carry some form of protection,” he said.
According to Ms Queen Nkosi, a community member in Atteridgeville, such incidents have raised alarms and caused widespread fear, especially among those who use taxis daily.
“I use a taxi to go to work every day. I sometimes wonder if I will ever have to see an altercation between taxi drivers. This is something I really fear because I do not want to get caught in the crossfire,” she said.
Mr Donald Msimango, a community member, shared his concerns about this incident.
“This is one of the reasons that pushed me to buy my own car so that neither my family nor I have to see such things. Such things really open our eyes to the dangers we face in our communities,” he said
There were attempts to get comments from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Atteridgeville taxi association, but there was no response at the time of publication.
Mr Magudulela’s case has been postponed to 21-25 September for sentencing.
