RIP BREAKING: Another Bolt driver shot dead in Rockville after being requested

Bolt Taxi Driver Shot Dead in Alleged Planned Hit in Scottsville

In a tragic turn of events, a Bolt taxi driver was shot dead on Thursday morning on Wensleydale Road in Scottsville, with many believing the incident was a planned hit.

Nkanyiso Zwane was discovered by a member of the Mi7 Group during a routine patrol along Woodhouse Road. Mi7 national group manager Collin David told The Witness that the patrolling member noticed a suspiciously parked white Toyota Etios with both front and back passenger doors open. As he approached the vehicle, he saw a man leaning against it who fled the scene upon noticing the patrol car.

“When he approached, there was a suspicious male who was leaning on the car. He drove past the vehicle and made a U-turn. As he was making the U-turn, the man fled the scene. He then went to inspect the car and found an unresponsive black male on the back seat of the car and he called for back-up,” David said.

Emergency responders declared Zwane dead at the scene.

The incident drew numerous Bolt drivers from around Pietermaritzburg to the crime scene, alongside Zwane’s regular customers, who were visibly heartbroken and shocked. They described Zwane as one of Bolt’s best drivers, praised for his excellent service. “He used to transport me a lot. He was one of those drivers that you call first to check his availability even before logging into the Bolt app to check who is available. I am still shocked. Who would do something like this?” a customer said.

Planned Hit Suspected

A Bolt driver, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed the suspicion that the murder was a planned hit. “How did they know that they would find him there, unless they knew that was his spot or if they were following him? This is sad because we do not know why he was killed. We want to know this and see the person or people who did this being arrested,” he said.

Zwane’s father, who arrived at the scene, stated that the family was too shocked to comment and were still trying to gather information about what had happened. “Currently we do not know what happened. We have no information,” he said.

Police Investigation Underway

Pietermaritzburg Police spokesperson Captain Kholeka Mhlongo reported that the incident occurred around 10:30 am. Zwane, who was about 27 years old, was found with four gunshot wounds, and police retrieved three cartridges from the car. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and no arrests have been made yet.

Mhlongo confirmed that Zwane’s usual spot was where he was shot, indicating that the killer knew his routine. “He would go wherever he was going and come back and park here while waiting for his next fare. Whoever killed him knew that this was his spot.”

This tragic event follows a similar incident in October, where another taxi hailing service driver was shot dead near Harry Gwala Stadium in what was believed to be a road rage incident.