News / National
Driver left for dead in pirate taxi turf wars
09 Feb 2024 at 06:53hrs | Views
BEING all brawn with no brains has landed three muscle heads who beat up a Honda Fit driver for allegedly being off-route, in hot soup.
Not taking time to consider that they were illegally hired by pirate taxis who operate unlawfully, Mlindo Mlilo (31), Ayibongwe Mlilo (18), and Dilani Mpofu (24) set upon Silence Nyahanana (27) with hard punches, ferocious kicks, and jarring knobkerrie strikes.
The incident is one among many vicious turf wars among pirate taxis that often go unreported.
The trio appeared on February 6 before Bulawayo magistrate Max Ncube facing assault charges.
They pleaded not guilty,they were granted US$100 bail each, and were remanded out of custody to 15 February.
It is alleged that on 3 February at around 9AM near a secondary school in Mahatshula suburb, the bouncers who were travelling in a kombi spotted Silence Nyahanana (27) who was pirating in his Honda Fit.
They blocked the road with their Nissan Caravan car, the court heard.
Disembarking from their car, they flexed their muscles as they made a beeline to Nyahanana.
The hapless driver recoiled as they bore down on him, accusing him of being off-route and encroaching onto the turf of other pirate Honda Fits.
It is said they pulled him out of the car like he was a weightless rag-doll and beat him up.
Scared passengers could not intervene and the big men left Nyahanana for dead.
Later, Nyahanana recovered and went to report the incident to the police leading to the arrest of the three accused persons.
Not taking time to consider that they were illegally hired by pirate taxis who operate unlawfully, Mlindo Mlilo (31), Ayibongwe Mlilo (18), and Dilani Mpofu (24) set upon Silence Nyahanana (27) with hard punches, ferocious kicks, and jarring knobkerrie strikes.
The incident is one among many vicious turf wars among pirate taxis that often go unreported.
The trio appeared on February 6 before Bulawayo magistrate Max Ncube facing assault charges.
They pleaded not guilty,they were granted US$100 bail each, and were remanded out of custody to 15 February.
It is alleged that on 3 February at around 9AM near a secondary school in Mahatshula suburb, the bouncers who were travelling in a kombi spotted Silence Nyahanana (27) who was pirating in his Honda Fit.
Disembarking from their car, they flexed their muscles as they made a beeline to Nyahanana.
The hapless driver recoiled as they bore down on him, accusing him of being off-route and encroaching onto the turf of other pirate Honda Fits.
It is said they pulled him out of the car like he was a weightless rag-doll and beat him up.
Scared passengers could not intervene and the big men left Nyahanana for dead.
Later, Nyahanana recovered and went to report the incident to the police leading to the arrest of the three accused persons.
Source - Bmetro
