Minibus taxis were involved in more than 53% of major road crashes during the 2024/2025 festive season, despite representing only a fraction of all registered vehicles in South Africa.
An estimated three people die every day in taxi-related crashes across the country.
The fatality rate in taxi-related crashes is double that of other passenger vehicles.
Annually, minibus taxis account for approximately 70,000 traffic accidents, twice the number recorded for any other mode of passenger transportation.
In 2011 data from the Road Traffic Management Corporation, minibus taxis were involved in 9.6% of all traffic-related crashes while comprising just 2.9% of registered vehicles.
Studies show that minibus taxi drivers are statistically more likely to engage in unsafe and aggressive driving practices compared to other drivers.
Factors frequently recorded in taxi-related crashes include reckless driving, excessive speeding, overloading of passengers, intoxication, operation without valid licences, and disregard for traffic laws.
A survey of minibus taxi users in KwaZulu-Natal found that 50% identified drunk driving as the biggest or second-biggest problem with taxi safety.
Under the National Road Traffic Act, the legal blood alcohol concentration limit for professional drivers, including taxi and minibus operators, is 0.02 grams per 100 millilitres, compared with 0.05 grams per 100 millilitres for ordinary drivers.
Nationally, alcohol consumption is linked to 58% of all road fatalities in South Africa.
A three-year RTMC analysis of 13,074 fatal crashes attributed 5.5% of cases to driver alcohol intoxication overall.
The same analysis found that the risk of fatal crashes attributed to alcohol intoxication was significantly higher for buses and midibuses (a category that includes minibus taxis) compared with trucks when measured against speeding or other driver risk behaviours.
In crashes involving minibuses, passengers face a 1.5 times greater likelihood of fatality per fatal crash, while pedestrians face a 1.6 times greater likelihood.
Across all fatal crashes examined in the RTMC study, passengers accounted for 48.7% of victims, drivers for 40.7%, and pedestrians for 10.6%.
South Africa records an average of 36 road deaths per day, with taxi-related incidents contributing three of those fatalities daily.
These patterns result in thousands of preventable deaths and injuries among passengers, pedestrians, and other road users each year, with minibus taxis carrying a disproportionate share of the national road fatality burden relative to their numbers on the road.
Data from national road safety reporting consistently links these outcomes to documented driver behaviours in the taxi industry, including reckless manoeuvres and alcohol or substance impairment.
In 2022, South Africa recorded 12,436 road traffic deaths overall, with earlier festive-season patterns showing similar proportions of taxi involvement.
The figures above are drawn directly from Road Traffic Management Corporation reports, Arrive Alive statistics, and peer-reviewed analyses of fatal crash data covering multiple years.
Labour Law Attorney Chinette Gallichan Shot and Killed Outside CCMA Offices in Johannesburg CBD
Johannesburg – A 35-year-old labour law attorney, Chinette Gallichan, was shot and killed outside the CCMA offices in the Johannesburg CBD on Monday morning while arriving to handle a case.
According to eyewitnesses, a suspect approached Gallichan at close range as she arrived for her matter and opened fire before fleeing the scene. Nothing was stolen from her, leading investigators to treat the killing as a possible targeted hit.
Gallichan was a respected legal professional known for her work in labour law. She was also an active runner who participated in the local athletics community. Her death has left both the legal fraternity and the running community in shock.
Police have launched a full investigation into the incident.
The killing has drawn widespread condemnation from colleagues and fellow athletes, who described Gallichan as a dedicated professional and passionate community member whose sudden loss has reverberated across Johannesburg’s legal and sporting circles.
No further details on suspects or motive have been released by authorities at this stage, but the South African Police Service confirmed they are actively pursuing leads.
Gallichan leaves behind a grieving family, colleagues, and friends in the legal and athletics communities.
Durban Police Shoot and Kill Four Suspects in Bellair Hideout Operation
DURBAN – Police in KwaZulu-Natal have fatally shot four suspects during an operation at a suspected hideout in the Bellair area of Durban.
The incident occurred on Monday, 23 March 2026, when officers tracked the group, who were wanted in connection with business robberies, house robberies and kidnapping cases.
According to police details, officers spotted the suspects’ vehicle in the area and attempted to stop it. The suspects fled from the vehicle and took refuge inside a house that authorities identified as their hideout spot.
A shootout broke out during the police operation at the property. Four suspects were shot and killed. Two were fatally wounded inside the house, one was shot behind the house, and the fourth was shot in the bushes at the rear of the property.
One additional suspect managed to escape and remains at large.
Police recovered four firearms from the scene.
The operation formed part of ongoing efforts to apprehend the group linked to the series of robberies and kidnappings in the province. No further injuries to police members or members of the public were reported.
Head-On Collision on R55 Near Olievenhoutbosch Injures Five, Including Infant
Centurion, 23 March 2026 – Five people, including an infant, were injured in a head-on collision on the R55 near Olievenhoutbosch on Monday evening.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene at approximately 19:45. The patients sustained injuries ranging from moderate to severe. All five were stabilised on site before being taken to nearby hospitals for further treatment.
One driver was trapped inside the wreckage and had to be freed using specialised rescue equipment, including the Jaws of Life.
Assisting agencies on scene were the Tshwane Emergency Services Department, Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department, Gauteng Emergency Medical Services, First Help Towing, Scorpion Risk Services, Seek Security, and R&D Risk Services.
Motorists are reminded to exercise caution when driving in low-light conditions, as reduced visibility heightens the risk of accidents. Drivers should slow down, keep a safe following distance, and ensure headlights are working properly.
One-Year-Old Girl Fatally Struck by Minibus Taxi in Heideveld
HEIDELVELD – A one-year-old girl died after being run over by a minibus taxi outside her home in Grace Court, Heideveld, on Sunday, 22 March, at approximately 2:30pm.
The child suffered fatal injuries in the collision and was declared dead at the scene. Emergency services responded to the incident, but the toddler could not be revived.
Manenberg police have opened a case of culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving following the accident. The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation, and no arrests have been made at this stage.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that officers from the Manenberg station are actively probing the matter. Authorities are urging anyone with additional information about the incident to contact Manenberg SAPS on 021 699 9400 or the Crime Stop hotline at 08600 10111.
The family of the young victim has not been named publicly, and further details about the driver or the taxi involved have not yet been released as the probe continues.
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KZN Police Chief Presents Prison Letter to Parliament Claiming Businessman Transported Furniture to Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala Farm
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has handed over a handwritten letter from a former prisoner to Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee. The letter alleges that businessman Vusimuzi Cat Matlala told his former cellmate he had delivered furniture, including couches, to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Limpopo.
The eight-page letter was written by Jermaine Prim, who shared a cell with Matlala at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility. According to the document, Matlala described himself as very close to the Ramaphosa family and spoke about transporting items to the property.
Phala Phala farm is the site of a 2020 burglary in which a large amount of foreign currency, reportedly hidden inside furniture, was stolen. The break-in triggered investigations into possible money laundering, undeclared cash holdings and claims of interference by law enforcement officials. The case has not been finalised and continues to face court challenges. Independent Police Investigative Directorate reports linked to the matter were declassified only recently.
Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi tabled the letter during his testimony to the parliamentary committee. He told members that the contents amount to unverified hearsay and still require proper investigation. He added that some information in the letter matches details from earlier intelligence gathered by police.
The commissioner also highlighted problems with prison management at the time, saying oversight failures allowed Matlala access to freedoms not normally granted to inmates.
The Presidency has issued no statement on the specific claims contained in the letter.
Opposition parties have demanded immediate steps to verify the information in the document. They have warned that any confirmation of the claims could introduce new elements to the long-running Phala Phala matter that has affected the president since the 2020 incident.
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