A leaked police report has confirmed that Yanga ‘Bara’ Nyalara, an alleged extortionist from Cape Town, was killed in a shootout on Thursday while driving back to a meeting with taxi drivers in Cofimvaba, Eastern Cape.
Reports indicate that Nyalara had been extorting taxi associations, charging them up to R2 000 a week.
At around 1.30pm, police received information about vehicles from Cofimvaba attending a taxi meeting. Officers from a specialised police unit attempted to stop Nyalara and others for a search.
A source close to the investigation stated: “Guns were found in their vehicles; I’m not sure what happened after.”
Nyalara was reportedly in a dark-coloured Toyota Fortuner.
The police report detailed that the National Intervention Unit (NIU) tried to stop two vehicles suspected of carrying unlicensed firearms. However, the vehicles sped off, leading to a high-speed chase from Tsomo to the N2 near Mission A/A.
One of the vehicles, a white Fortuner with a Cape Town registration, was identified as belonging to Nyalara, who was accompanied by his security guards. The other vehicle had a KwaZulu registration and four security guards.
During the chase, the NIU attempted to stop the Fortuners, but one vehicle collided with the NIU vehicles and opened fire. The police returned fire, resulting in the deaths of six individuals, including Nyalara.
“The police shot back, and all the taxi people and security were fatally wounded. The total number of the deceased was six. No police members were injured.
“Among the deceased is the taxi boss known as Bara by the name of Yanga Nyalara, who has been in Cape Town with Codeta. He was identified by the clothes he was wearing at Cofimvaba at the meeting. In both vehicles, there were rifles and pistols,” the report said.
A viral video clip shows the occupants of both Toyota vehicles being stopped by NIU officers, although it does not capture the moments leading up to the shooting or the chase.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said: “More than five people have been shot and killed in a shootout between suspects and police members. The incident occurred this afternoon, Thursday, 20 February 2025, near Ndabakazi in Butterworth.
“On investigation, six people were fatally wounded, and firearms were recovered in their vehicles. The case has been referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for further investigation.”
Nyalara had a controversial history, having been released from custody on November 26, 2024, after spending nearly two years in jail for the murder of 18 people. He was acquitted in July 2024.
The State had alleged that he and co-accused Wanda Tofile went on a killing spree in Site B, Khayelitsha, where 12 people were murdered and six wounded in a revenge attack on May 15, 2021.
Nyalara was also charged with the murder of six individuals in Site C, but all charges were eventually withdrawn, including a business robbery at an MTN store in Cape Town city centre.
Following his arrest in 2021, residents of Site C protested outside the police station, demanding his release, claiming that the area was safer with him around than when he was in custody.