Nyanga police registered a murder and attempted-murder case following a shooting in Sithandathu Avenue, Nyanga on Thursday 6 August. The incident took place around 12:30.

Found riddled with bullets

Provincial police spokesperson Const Ndakhe Gwala confirmed the incident, saying that officers responded to reports of a shooting and, on arrival, found the body of an adult male in a white Toyota Quantum.

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“The taxi was riddled with bullets and the deceased sustained a gunshot wound to the head,” she said. “He was declared dead on the scene by medical personnel. The second victim, who was the driver of the vehicle, also sustained a head wound and was rushed to a medical facility,” Gwala said the motive was believed to be taxi-related and the case was handed to Provincial Serious Violent Crime detectives and the Taxi Violence Unit for further investigation.

Shutting the rank will force leaders to talk

A Nyanga community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, described the incident as shocking. They said the taxi involved in the incident was under the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) in the area. He said this was especially significant given the association had been preaching peace in the industry for so long.

“I thought the fighting had stopped now. It seems there is a lot happening in relation to the association, something they clearly need to have a look at.” After all, these internal fights always affect innocent people, the leader said.

They advised the government to close the Nyanga Taxi Rank and conduct a thorough investigation. “What is worse they are fighting alone. They are killing one another as association members. That rank (Nyanga Taxi Rank) needs to be shut down for a month until its leaders tell us what their problem is.”

At the time of publication, Cata spokesperson Nkululeko Sityebi had not responded to requests for comment.