A 51-year-old taxi owner was shot and killed in Waterloo, KwaZulu-Natal, at the corner of Python Road and Pricklepear Road on the morning of Friday, 28 November 2025.
The incident occurred shortly before 06:51 when members of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), a private emergency and security response organisation operating in the area, received a call for assistance and dispatched reaction officers to the scene. Upon their arrival, officers from Verulam South African Police Service (SAPS) were already present and had secured the area.
Eyewitnesses who were in the immediate vicinity at the time of the shooting reported that the victim had been standing alone on the street corner, apparently waiting for transport to collect him. Two unknown male suspects approached the victim on foot from an undisclosed direction. Without any recorded exchange of words or visible altercation, the suspects produced firearms and opened fire on the 51-year-old man at close range.
The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds during the attack. Forensic examination at the scene later confirmed injuries to the face, head, shoulders, and back. The distribution and nature of the wounds indicated that several rounds were fired while the victim was facing the attackers and continued as he turned or fell.
Reaction officers and attending paramedics located numerous 9mm spent cartridge casings scattered across the roadway and pavement in the immediate area of the shooting. All recovered casings were 9mm Parabellum, consistent with handgun ammunition commonly used in South Africa. No firearm was recovered at the scene, indicating the suspects removed their weapons after the attack.
Despite the arrival of medical personnel, the victim was declared deceased on site due to the severity of the gunshot trauma. No other persons were injured during the incident.
Initial witness statements indicate that immediately after firing the shots, the two suspects fled the scene on foot. The direction in which they ran has not been publicly confirmed by investigating authorities, and no independent verification of a getaway vehicle has been established at this stage. Surveillance cameras in the vicinity, if any exist, have not yet yielded publicly available information.
The motive for the targeted killing remains unknown at this time. Police have registered a case of murder for further investigation at Verulam SAPS. Detectives from the station, supported by provincial organised crime and ballistics units, are handling the docket. Scene processing was conducted by Verulam SAPS and forensic personnel, who collected the spent casings and other potential evidence.
The deceased was a registered taxi owner operating in the broader Verulam and Waterloo taxi jurisdiction. No official confirmation has been released regarding membership of any specific taxi association, and investigators have not yet linked the shooting to the ongoing taxi-related disputes that have affected certain routes in northern KwaZulu-Natal in recent years.
As of the latest update from authorities on 28 November 2025, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been positively identified. The investigation remains active, with police appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who has information about the suspects to contact Verulam SAPS or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
The shooting has added to the tally of violent incidents recorded in the Waterloo and Verulam policing precinct so far in 2025, though specific comparative statistics for taxi-related violence in the area have not been released in connection with this case.
Residents in the Python Road and Pricklepear Road area reported that the intersection is a known pick-up and drop-off point for commuters and taxi operators, particularly during early morning hours when drivers and owners arrange transport to ranks or meetings. The corner is situated in a mixed residential and light industrial zone north of Verulam town.
This incident marks yet another fatal shooting in KwaZulu-Natal in 2025 where 9mm handguns were used in what appears to have been a planned assassination-style attack carried out in daylight in a public space. (612 words)
