Cape Town -
A taxi driver was shot dead in Nyanga, Cape Town, on Monday morning, Western Cape police said.
The 39-year-old man from Zwelitsha was apparently shot while on his way to work, said Captain Frederick van Wyk.
Witnesses heard gun shots at around 6.15am.
Van Wyk said the man was apparently robbed of his firearm. The motive for the shooting was unknown. No arrests had been made.
The shooting occurred at the same time as a violent protest in the area, in which seven buses were set alight and four were badly damaged.
Golden Arrow Bus Services spokeswoman Bronwen Dyke said 11 bus drivers were pulled from their vehicles and assaulted.
It was believed the crowd could be protesting taxi drivers.
Dyke said it was impossible to run bus services in Nyanga at present. The company was instead operating from Borchards Quarry and the Manenberg police station.
Earlier, Van Wyk said the public order policing unit and fire brigade were on the scene.
Western Cape transport MEC Donald Grant and mayor Patricia de Lille condemned the violence.
De Lille said there had also been sporadic stoning incidents in Nyanga and Philippi, traffic disruptions along the N2 highway, and tyres set alight on the corner of Vanguard and Oliver Tambo drives.
The city had temporarily withdrawn some of its staff from the area because of threats of violence.
“Today’s attacks on public transport infrastructure are clearly well-orchestrated and driven by the desire to make the city ungovernable.”
De Lille said it was “clear” these actions were politically motivated and part of a campaign to make the city ungovernable ahead of the 2016 local government elections.
She said the city would monitor the situation closely and help to contain the situation in conjunction with the police. - Sapa