Cape Town – Four suspects have been arrested after two men were shot dead on a bus transporting farmworkers in Citrusdal, 177km from Cape Town.
The suspects, aged between 27 and 41, are linked to a taxi organisation in the area and are expected to appear in the Clanwilliam Magistrate’s Court on Monday, where bail will be opposed, Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said on Friday.
’’An intensive investigation into the circumstances of a double murder on Wednesday in Citrusdal, which left two men aged 34 and 43 fatally wounded on a bus while transporting farmworkers, led to the arrest of four suspects,’’ said Traut.
’’Last night, members of Citrusdal police, provincial detectives and the Provincial Integrated Task Team conducted a joint tracing operation for the suspects in the area after an investigation implicated them in the attack.
’’The provincial commissioner of the Western Cape police, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, commended the investigators and arresting officers for the speedy arrests.
’’He warned that violence associated with the transport industry in this province will not be tolerated and perpetrators of the law can expect to see their day in court.’’
Earlier, Traut said the men were shot at a pick-up point for farmworkers in Riverview at 5.40am.
According to reports, ’’illegal taxi operators’’ in the town are trying to force farmworkers to make use of their services even though they are being ferried by farmers.
Meanwhile, the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and Congress of Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) will resume arbitration next week over route B97 between Bellville and Paarl. Cata and Codeta reached a ceasefire agreement on August 2, enabling taxis to resume their services on all other routes.
IOL