Suspected hitman arrested for taxi-related murder
A manhunt for the remaining three suspects involved in the murder is continuing.
The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Taxi Violence Unit detectives arrested 32-year-old Qaphelani Nyawose on Thursday, August 28, in connection with a taxi industry-related murder.
On the afternoon of July 17, 2025, Mohammed Abdul Hammid and his wife drove to a fast-food store in Montclair, reportedly to meet a taxi owner who had offered Hammid a work permit to join a local taxi association.
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His wife left the vehicle and went inside the store while Hammid remained seated in his blue BMW. Suddenly, a white Ford Ranger with four occupants arrived and opened fire on Hammid without saying a word. He was declared dead at the scene. His licensed firearm was found in his possession.
Metro Police officers, who were in the vicinity, noticed the getaway vehicle driving recklessly along South Coast Road and gave chase. The suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled. An R5 rifle with two magazines and another magazine for a handgun were found inside the suspects’ vehicle.
The case was handed over to the Provincial Taxi Violence Unit, and clues lifted from the vehicle revealed the identities of two suspects, both from Section A in Umlazi. On Thursday, police executed an operation in Umlazi that led to Nyawose’s arrest.
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At the premises, police identified another man who was seated inside a vehicle. Preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle was reported stolen in Bayview in August 2025. The man was arrested for possession of a suspected stolen vehicle.
Nyawose appeared in the Durban Magistrates Court on Friday, August 29, and was remanded in custody. He will be in the dock again on September 5 for bail consideration. A manhunt for the remaining three suspects involved in the murder is continuing.
