Cape Town – The four suspects arrested in connection with the shooting attack at the Cape Town Station deck taxi rank on Monday appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Xolani Thafeni, Thobela Dingani, Meluxolo Pikini and Lwandiso Paul Diamond are facing charges of attempted murder after they were arrested following six people, including a woman in a wheelchair, were wounded on the station deck.
The case was postponed until December 2, and the docket will be added to that of one of the other two accused, who were arrested earlier for the same shooting. The two, Siyabulela Velile and Sinethemba Mngambi appeared in court on Tuesday.
It is believed the shooting is related to a later shooting at the Nyanga taxi rank in which five people were killed and two others wounded.
The Western Cape government said it was developing a stability plan, “Blue Dot”, for the minibus taxi sector, which aimed to improve service quality and taxi safety, and incentivise the industry.
DA provincial spokesperson on Transport and Public works Daylin Mitchell said the initiative would deliver incentives to the taxi industry and provide a mechanism to curb industry violence.
“By working with the well-entrenched industry, incentives will be distributed by the department to participants based on relevant performance against the standards provided,” Mitchell said.
He said the province must continue to place importance on the functional relationship between the government and the minibus taxi sector.
ANC provincial spokesperson on Safety Mesuli Kama said policing challenges and inefficiencies were further exposed as the taxi violence and killings continued unabated.
“I know the police are working around the clock to prevent these ongoing killings. But they cannot win the battle alone; they need all the assistance they can get from metro police and law enforcement agencies in the province,” said Kama.
Cape Argus