Lindani Buthelezi, 30, was believed to be responsible for Wednesday's murder of Kranskop station commissioner Superintendent Zethembe Chonco, ambushed in his car while in a convoy taking suspects to court.Safety, security and community liaison MEC Bheki Cele had last month expressed concern that there were a shadowy band of hitmen behind the taxi violence plaguing the province. Chonco was appointed by Cele to head up the taxi task team, part of the organised crime unit in the province. He was investigating recent taxi violence between KwaDukuza and KwaMaphumulo associations.Members of the police's Operation Greed team, who tracked down Buthelezi, are also investigating the murder of Senior Supt Frans Bothma, murdered in KwaMashu on Tuesday night.Cele said he was aware that a suspect, wanted in connection with Chonco's murder, was killed on Wednesday morning.
"This will not bring back a fallen officer but we will make sure we catch the remaining suspects. Another policeman was killed in KwaMashu on Tuesday night. It is clear that thugs have declared war on police and we will not take it lying down," he said.Cele paid his condolences to the Bothma family.Police sources said they received information that Buthelezi was hiding in a house in Stanger."Two policemen entered the house first, followed by another three officers. Buthelezi ran out of his room and into another part of the house. "When confronted by police he pulled out a gun from a suitcase and fired at two of the officers," the source said. Police returned fire, killing Buthelezi.Buthelezi has been linked to recent taxi violence between the Cato Manor and Chesterville taxi associations and has been described by high ranking investigators as a "dangerous hired-gunman".Last month 10 taxis were shot at, a taxi driver was shot in the arm and a taxi landed on the roof of a house in Dunbar Road, Cato Manor as the two associations fought over taxi routes.
"We know that hitmen were planning to take Chonco out the Friday before he was murdered.""When Chonco arrested two people from the Maphumulo taxi association, the killers knew he would be taking the suspects to court."Chonco was escorting prisoners from Kranskop to the Stanger Magistrate's Court last week when he was ambushed by gunmen hiding at the side of the road. Inspector Mphatheni Khanyile, who was with Chonco, was also shot several times and is in a critical condition in hospital. At least 25 bullets penetrated Chonco's car, which was the last in a convoy of three vehicles heading to court. Police said Chonco managed to kill one of the suspects.Earlier this year, Cele paid tribute to the best crime-fighters in the country, including Chonco, at a ceremony held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre." He was highly effective in what he did, as can be seen by the award. "He was one of the best officers South Africa has seen. It wasn't an award that was chosen to be awarded to him by a panel. It came from the people he served," Cele said.Speaking recently about the violence in Cato Manor and Chesterville Cele called for taxi rank security guards to be fired and said they were the cause of violence in the industry.Most recently, the work of Chonco had led to the arrests of a number of suspects in a case where a member of the Empangeni dog unit, Inspector Wayne Saunders, was killed.
