Cape Town - Cata chairman and taxi boss Sipho Maseti was gunned down at his Kraaifontein house, in front of his wife and children at the weekend.
Maseti, 50, had recently mediated a peace deal between warring taxi associations in Retreat. They had been fighting over routes.
Taxi association leaders have appealed for calm among their constituents.
Last year, he survived an attempt on his life when he was shot eight times. He spent weeks recovering in hospital.
On Saturday the family were preparing to go to church when two gunmen stormed into their house and opened fire on Maseti.
He collapsed and died on the scene.
On Monday his heartbroken family said the killers needed to be arrested.
Taxi bosses and friends were at the house on Monday to pay their respects to Maseti.
Maseti was the provincial chairperson of the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and an executive member of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco). Last week he was involved in peace talks with different taxi associations in efforts to bring peace to the industry.
Maseti’s widow Asekho, 45, said he had been shot in the head. She and her children ran to a bedroom after the first shots were fired, and hid behind a wardrobe.
Seconds later she heard multiple gunshots.
“One of the children was trying to escape through the window’s burglar bars, but I held her tightly to comfort her. I told the child that if the gunmen were to come to the room we are all dead,” said the grieving wife.
The gunmen ran off and shortly thereafter neighbours arrived.
“I asked the neighbour if they (the shooters) were gone and she said they ran down the street. There was blood everywhere. I ran outside and screamed.”
She described Maseti as a loving husband who enjoyed making jokes with everyone in the house.
She said she had previously asked him to leave the taxi industry, but Maseti had told her the business was his life and his only source of income.
Santaco secretary Vernon Billet said Maseti’s death was “very, very painful” for the whole of the taxi industry.
“He was not only a taxi boss but a respected person. We will be meeting with the police and will provide any information that may be helpful in the investigation,” said Billet.
He urged members of Maseti’s organisation to not retaliate but to keep calm and let the police do their job.
Santaco chairperson Lefu Marobela said he had thought that taxi violence had stopped. “It is surprising and shocking to hear of his death,” he said.
“He was involved in peace deals in the Delft taxi tensions and the Westlake tensions, where some associations were upset about other associations using their routes,” said Marobela.
Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (Codeta) secretary Andile Khanyi said:
“He was a people person who had great ideas and vision for the taxi industry.” .
Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk confirmed Maseti’s murder.
“Two unidentified suspects entered his house armed with firearms and shot him.
The unknown suspects fled the scene on foot. A murder case has been opened and no arrests have yet been made,” said van Wyk.
Cape Times