Man killed in Wynberg court 'was taxi driver on charges of murder'

The man shot inside the Wynberg magistrate’s court on Tuesday has been identified as a former taxi association member operating in Vrygrond, Cape Town. 

Chair of the Vrygrond Taxi Association Makhosandile Tumana told TimesLIVE on Wednesday that it came as a surprise to them that the man was their member, Dingalomoya Chintso. 

Tumana said that his vehicle was repossessed in 2024, and he was often in the Eastern Cape and only came to Cape Town for his court appearances. 

“We want to confirm that Dingalomoya Chintso is one of our members at CODETA Vrygrond, however, due to the repossession of his vehicle, he was not with us for a while. Mr Chintso was assassinated yesterday in court, which is very strange to us and leaves us with many questions in our minds,” said Tumana. “His unfortunate passing occurred at a stage of mass shootings in Capricorn.

“We do not associate his assassination with what is going on in Capricorn since it has been going on for a while. We are not certain on the motive behind his assassination.” 

Police spokesperson Sgt Wesley Twigg said that the victim sustained gunshot wounds to his body and was declared dead on the scene by medical personnel. 

“The motive for the attack forms part of the police investigation and arrests are yet to be made,” said Twigg. 

There has been confusion about whether the man was a state witness or an accused. However, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila confirmed that the deceased was an accused facing charges of murder and possession of an illegal firearm. 

Chair of the portfolio committee on justice and constitutional development Xola Nqola expressed his shock at the shooting. 

“Criminals have become so brazen that they do not care who they shoot or where they shoot ... I struggle to comprehend how these criminals can take a court and turn it into a murder scene. This is a brazen attack where criminals fear no-one. It is totally unacceptable,” said Nqola. 

“What is more worrying is the fact that these brutal attackers walked into a court building while armed and shot the man in the lobby. The question now is, how did they manage to enter the building with firearms without being detected?” 

DA spokesperson on police oversight and community safety Thomas Walters said it was deeply disturbing that the shooting happened in broad daylight within a government building. 

“The shameless act of violence, executed in full view of bystanders who were left scrambling for safety, raises serious questions about the sufficiency of security protocols in places where individuals involved in high-level crime are present,” said Walters. 

“The gunman’s ability to pull out a firearm and shoot his target without any significant intervention from authorities is entirely unacceptable.” 

Walters said the DA demanded immediate action to implement stronger security measures at all courts, including an enhance police presence during high-level criminal proceedings. 

Minister of justice and constitutional development Mmamoloko Kubayi said that this incident could have occurred due to the many gang-related incidents being heard at the Wynberg court.

She stated that she is expecting to have a meeting with the heads of courts later this month to identify these cases and further mentioned that a conversation with the judiciary to see how to introduce an offsite location for witnesses to testify instead of coming to the court. 

“You do not only fear that a witness would be killed you fear for the magistrate and anyone who is in the courtroom when the trigger is pulled because the bullet can hit anyone,” said Kubayi. 

“I am worried when witnesses are killed that it has potential to threaten witnesses in other cases.

“This sends the wrong message to our country. It makes it look almost like we are not upholding the rule of law.” 

Kubayi added that the metal detector was not working on Tuesday at the court. However, there were no reports registered.

TimesLIVE