Two men appeared in the Pietermaritzburg High Court in connection with the murder of three metered taxi operators.
|||Pietermaritzburg - Two men appeared in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday in connection with the murder of three metered taxi operators.
Mathews Maphumulo, 32, and Siyabonga Praise God Zimu, 27, were accused of shooting the taxi drivers and stealing their cars and other items in May, June, and July 2010.
They pleaded not guilty to three murder charges, and charges of aggravated robbery, at the start of the trial on Tuesday.
The State alleged that they obtained the drivers' cellphone numbers on the pretext that they would hire the taxis for the evening.
They then got the drivers to take them to a secluded area, to shoot them.
One of the victims, Zephrid Nxumalo, wrestled with his attackers for possession of the gun, but was shot in the abdomen and was pushed out of the car into bushes.
Nxumalo managed to get help and was taken to a hospital on June 28. He died on August 10.
The other two victims, Sphamandla Zondi and Xolani Hlela, died at the scenes of the shootings.
The trial continues on Wednesday. - Sapa