Taxi boss Kholwani Ntanjana has been described as the alleged orchestrator of the attack on Advocate Coreth Naudé SC, reports The Mercury.

Naude, who had been appointed by SARS to handle a tax inquiry, was shot in her vehicle on 18 July 2024 at the entrance of the Premier Hotel in Umhlanga.

At the time, Naudé was conducting a tax inquiry into Andile Mpisane, son of Durban businesswoman Shauwn Mkhize.

She was shot in the neck, face, and shoulder and had to undergo reconstructive surgery on her jaw.

During Ntanjana's bail application in the Durban Magistrate's Court yesterday, the state submitted an affidavit from Warrant Officer Praved Maharaj, the investigating officer.

The state is opposing Ntanjana’s bail application. Maharaj described how Ntanjana met with his co-accused, Siyanda Mbulwana and Mcebisi Runeyi – identified by police as the alleged gunmen – before and after the incident.

He said the gunmen arrived at King Shaka International Airport from Cape Town on 17 July 2024. Following their arrival, the cellphones of Mbulwana, Runeyi and Ntanjana all connected to a beach tower near Crescent in Umhlanga.

This location is an address that Ntanjana had previously provided to the Durban North police when opening a separate case.

The affidavit revealed that Ntanjana treated the pair to breakfast at a Florida Road restaurant before purchasing two firearm holsters and a knife for R1 700.

The officer said this information was obtained using Ntanjana's bank statement.

He said investigations following the arrest of Runeyi and Mbulwana in 2024 revealed consistent communication between the duo and two cellphone numbers registered to Ntanjana.

‘From all the investigations and evidence gathered and information from crime intelligence, it became clear that this attempted murder of Naudé was orchestrated by Ntanjana,’ he said.

According to The Mercury, Maharaj said Ntanjana had previously been charged with cases related to taxi violence where victims were shot with high-calibre weapons.

Maharaj said it would be difficult to trace Ntanjana if he were to be released on bail, as he has several addresses.

He raised concerns about the safety of Naudé and said that if Ntanjana got bail, it would be easy for him to target her again and possibly eliminate her before his trial.

The case continues. Meanwhile, Mbulwana and Runeyi made a brief appearance in the Durban High Court for their pre-trial conference yesterday.

The matter was postponed to January 2026.

Full report in The Mercury