Cape Town - Unidentified gunmen shot dead five taxi drivers at a Ceres taxi rank this morning.
Detectives from the provincial taxi task team are combing the scene at the Vredebed taxi rank.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said reports from the crime scene indicated that three yet-to-be-identified suspects opened fire indiscriminately on taxis at a taxi rank in Vredebed after 7am, seriously wounding a man, who later died in hospital, and four others who died on the scene.
“The identities of the deceased are yet to be released. Indications are that the shooting incident is taxi-conflict related. Additional police, comprising Public Order Police and local police have been deployed to the area to restore calm as detectives pursue several leads.”
She asked that anyone with information that could assist the investigation to contact the police at 08600 10111.
Community leader Thembi Sifile said shootings no longer shocked them, as they happened monthly.
“The municipality gave one route to two taxi associations and that is what is causing these shootings. We are no longer shocked by the shootings. We just wonder who is next. We fear for commuters now because they might get shot while being transported.”
She said the police were not doing enough to curb the violence.
“The station commander will ask for the assistance of the community. How do we identify hitmen who are hired from different places? Blood will continue to flow in Ceres until there is intervention from the municipality and other stakeholders.”
SA National Taxi Council provincial spokesperson Gershon Geyer was shocked by the shooting.
“We, as Santaco, are totally against this type of behaviour in the taxi industry. We condemn what happened. Santaco will do everything in its power the address violence in the industry and change the behaviour of our members.”
Weekend Argus