MBABANE: The Eswatini Local Kombis Association has strongly condemned the brutal killing of a kombi driver allegedly at the hands of a rival operator in a dispute over passengers, describing the incident as shocking and uncharacteristic of the country’s public transport sector.
The association has, however, moved swiftly to allay public fears, insisting that the fatal shooting was an isolated incident and not a sign of entrenched kombi wars similar to those seen in neighboring South Africa.
The condemnation follows the fatal shooting of a 36-year-old kombi driver from the Buseleni area Mxolisi Kennedy Fakudze, who operated on the busy Manzini–Lomahasha route. The driver was gunned down on April 17, 2026, at around 2355 hours at Eteni in Matsapha after stopping to drop off a passenger. He was shot four times in the body by a gunman who fled the scene and later succumbed to his injuries on April 21 while receiving medical treatment.
Police investigations have since led to the arrest of a 40-year-old suspect from KaShewula, who was apprehended in Manzini City Centre on April 27. The suspect, who is also part of the public transport industry, has been charged with murder as well as contravention of the Arms and Ammunition Act after he was allegedly found in possession of an unlicensed Star pistol and a live round of ammunition. A second suspect, aged 39 from Ngudzeni, has also been charged in connection with the illegal possession of the same firearm.
While police have linked the killing to alleged disputes over transport routes, insiders within the kombi industry paint a deeper picture of simmering tensions tied to competition for passengers, particularly cross-border traders.
Sources close to the matter revealed that on the day of the incident, the deceased, had travelled to Lomahasha to collect cross-border traders who regularly relied on his services. The traders, many of whom operate as informal hawkers, reportedly preferred Fakudze because of his customer-oriented approach.
“He would not just drop them off at the Manzini bus rank like other drivers. He made sure he took them closer to their homes, which made him very popular,” said a source familiar with the operations on the route.
It is alleged that Fakudze had built a loyal client base among the traders, who would call him directly whenever they arrived at the border post. On the day in question, he reportedly received such a call and proceeded to pick them up as usual.
However, tensions escalated when two other kombis, which had also gone to Lomahasha to fetch passengers, returned empty. According to sources, the drivers of those vehicles were frustrated and angered by the traders’ apparent preference for Fakudze’s services.
“They did not understand why the passengers would wait for him and ignore them. It did not sit well with them at all,” said the source.
After collecting the traders, Fakudze reportedly deviated slightly from his designated route to drop off some passengers in Matsapha, a practice said to have given him a competitive edge but also exposed him to risks.
It was during this stop in Matsapha that the suspect allegedly seized the opportunity to carry out the attack.
“What is shocking is that even the kombi owners had no idea what was happening between these drivers. They were equally surprised by the incident,” the source added.
The motive, according to those familiar with the matter, appears to stem from competition over the lucrative cross-border transport business, suggesting that drivers were making significant earnings from these trips.
“It shows that there is money in these routes, and some drivers are willing to go to extreme lengths to secure it,” said the source.
Further revelations indicate that the deceased was not entirely new to disputes within the transport sector. In 2022, Fakudze was allegedly involved in an incident where public transport operators attacked a man driving a seven-seater vehicle accused of encroaching on their business.
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