In Apparent Self-Defense After Violent Road Confrontation
CCN News
Durban:- A deadly roadside confrontation has ignited fierce online debate across South Africa, highlighting deep-seated public frustration with taxi industry intimidation and lawlessness on the country’s roads.
According to widely circulated social media reports, two taxi drivers were shot dead after aggressively pursuing and blocking a private vehicle driven by a man identified only as Khanyile.
The incident reportedly began when the taxi drivers spotted Khanyile’s small car picking up passengers, who turned out to be his own father and cousin, en route to a doctor’s appointment due to his father’s illness.
Witness accounts shared online claim, one taxi began flashing its lights and honking aggressively behind Khanyile’s vehicle.
Moments later, a second taxi overtook at high speed and deliberately stopped in front, trapping him. The drivers allegedly exited their vehicles, demanded Khanyile cease transporting “their” passengers, and attempted to force open his locked doors. When he refused, explaining they were family members, one reportedly smashed the windshield with a brick.
In panic and fearing for his life and the safety of his passengers, Khanyile allegedly retrieved a licensed firearm and fired, striking both men in the head. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
The story, accompanied by graphic images purporting to show the deceased taxi drivers, exploded across Facebook and other platforms under hashtags like #veapclassics, rapidly garnering thousands of reactions. What has stunned observers is not just the violence, but the overwhelming public support for Khanyile, a rare outpouring that many see as evidence of a nation pushed to breaking point by unchecked crime and taxi-sector bullying.
“Excellent, people are sick of being intimidated. It’s his vehicle, none of their business,” wrote Facebook user Roween Els, echoing a common sentiment.
“Good job 👏, Khanyile….these taxi operators think they are the law and untouchable. Give them the treatment they deserve,” added Barry Knippe.
Another commenter, Henry Van Wyk, wrote: “We have to pray for Khanyile .. the laws of this country are for the crime offenders and not for the just! May this incident never see the inside of a court … I pray.”
The wave of approval underscores growing anger over the taxi industry’s reputation for violent enforcement of routes and passenger “ownership,” often with impunity. Private motorists frequently report being harassed, threatened, or forced off roads for giving lifts, actions many view as extortionate and illegal.
While police have yet to issue an official statement or confirm details, the viral response reveals a public increasingly sympathetic to vigilante-style self-defense in a country, plagued by high crime rates and perceptions of inadequate law enforcement.
Legal experts note that South African law allows lethal force in genuine self-defense scenarios, but any investigation would scrutinize whether the response was proportionate.
As the story continues to spread, it has become a flashpoint in the national conversation about crime, personal safety, and who really controls South Africa’s streets.
For many ordinary citizens, Khanyile is not a criminal, he’s a symbol of resistance against a system that too often feels rigged in favor of the lawless.
