Johannesburg - Two rival taxi associations in Ntuzuma, Durban, have signed a peace deal to end a long-standing feud, the provincial transport department said on Sunday.
"The fact that you have agreed to non-violent and peaceful engagements is important," transport MEC Willies Mchunu said in a statement welcoming the deal.
However, he said it was unfortunate people had had to lose their lives before the associations realised they needed to resolve the matter amicably.
Mchunu said the government would monitor taxi operations in Ntuzuma to ensure the agreement was honoured.
The Ntuzuma and Piesang taxi associations had agreed to withdraw their security companies, to share pick-up places on New Road until there was a court decision on a route dispute and to stop launching illegal taxi-ranks in the area, he said.
Cartridges
Five people were wounded in October in a shooting between two men from either taxi association in Ntuzuma.
They were among the wounded. The others were two taxi passengers and a 45-year-old woman bystander, Captain Thulani Zwane said at the time.
Police found 20 spent R5 rifle cartridges on the scene.
A man was killed and another was wounded when their taxi was shot at by a group of people in a car earlier this month.
Zwane said the shooting had been being investigated by the provincial taxi violence task team.