Pretoria - Yet another member of the troubled Mamelodi Taxi Association (Mata) was gunned down on Sunday – hours after the association’s secretary, shot a week ago, was buried.
This has fuelled speculation of a hit list drawn up to cripple the association.
Mata’s executive committee member, Oscar “Patch” Letsoalo, 43, was shot dead on Sunday night outside his popular place of business in Mamelodi on busy Tsamaya Road.
The shooting came a few hours after the burial of his friend and Mata’s secretary, Buang Maubane, who was also killed in Mamelodi a week ago. Two months ago, Lucky Mahlangu, Mata’s chairman was shot dead in Mamelodi East while driving home.
Association members are reeling with anger and confusion at the killing of their executive members.
Mata spokesman Geelboy Masemola said this had been yet another terrible blow to the association and that words failed to articulate the anger, sorrow, and sense of hopelessness which engulfed him.
“I can’t even talk about this anymore because last week we lost Buang, now we’ve lost Patch. I don’t know what to say,” he said.
Mata members were left bemused and found it hard to deal with the latest murder because they were still trying to come to terms with Maubane’s death, he said. Masemola had just attended his funeral a few hours before Letsoalo was slain.
The 43-year-old owned a fleet of taxis, several businesses and the popular “Motsoala Chisa Nyama” outlet where he was gunned down.
His body was riddled with bullets after he was shot by three men at about 9pm on Sunday.
Letsoalo’s family refused to comment and asked to be given time to grieve.
A Pretoria News team yesterday visited Motsoala Chisa Nyama and spoke to a witness who asked to remain anonymous. He said three men drove up to the business premises in a silver VW Polo, one of them shot at Letsoalo three times as he was getting into his Porsche.
“I saw him waiting after he jumped out of the Polo, then he pulled out his gun and shot Patch about three times. He missed him the first time, but then hit him with two bullets after that,” the man said.
“Then another one came with a big gun (a rifle) and opened fire on him while he was lying on the ground, shooting him at least seven times.”
Mamelodi police spokesman Constable Sam Shibambo said the motive of the murder was yet to be established. He urged residents to come forward with any information that could lead to arrests.
Pretoria News