The only suspect to have been arrested so far in connection with the murder of well-known taxi-fleet owner Julia Alam remains behind bars as his bail application continues in the Hermanus Magistrates’ Court.
To date, Ntandazo Sipele and the investigating officer Sgt Thembelani Mekuto of the provincial Serious and Violent Crimes Unit have testified in Sipele’s bail application. Sipele, who was arrested in the Cape Metropole on Friday 8 August, first appeared in connection with Alam’s murder in the Hermanus Magistrates’ Court on Monday 11 August.
This was also the day a taxi driver from Zwelihle was gunned down in the area. Sources say it is believed this taxi driver allegedly drove the getaway vehicle in which the three gunmen responsible for Alam’s death on Thursday 7 August in the parking lot of Whale Coast Mall, fled from the scene. “He was taken out to silence him,” one source stated.
Last week, taxis in Hermanus were seen driving in convoy through the town to pay respects to their slain colleague before his body was transported to the Eastern Cape for burial. Hours later the investigating officer resumed his testimony in Sipele’s bail application in court.
Mekuto echoed the state’s sentiment that Sipele shouldn’t be released on bail as he is a flight risk and added that one witness in the case had already been gunned down while another person who indicated he would be willing to be a state witness was shot and killed in Cape Town. The three gunmen responsible for Alam’s shooting in broad daylight have still not been apprehended.
Alam’s husband, Jeffrey Zolile Alam, was killed in a similar manner six months before when he was gunned down while sitting at the Zwelihle Taxi Rank at the end of February. Simon Nodom, with Alam when he was shot, was gunned down the following evening in Zwelihle.
The latest murders are believed to have been part of a string of shooting incidents in recent weeks related to violence in the taxi industry. Just last week the Somerset West Taxi Rank was closed after two taxi drivers, believed to be affiliated to the taxi association Cata, were shot dead in Macassar.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde condemned the taxi-related violence, which has claimed numerous lives over the past few weeks. He called for calm and a return to negotiations that will bring about lasting stability.
“Nothing can justify bloodshed. It is only through dialogue that differences and challenges can be overcome.”
Western Cape Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku pointed out that taxi organisations committed to prioritising peace, stability and the safety of commuters during a recent Taxi Peace Summit. “The current escalation of tensions between Cata and Codeta, the two largest taxi groupings in this province, and the violence that followed, shows that some in the industry are acting in bad faith and undermining the commitments they made to government and to the people of the Western Cape. This violence is nothing less than an attack on innocent commuters, and those who choose conflict over peace will face the full force of the law,” Sileku stated.
On 28 August the Western Cape High Court granted the Western Cape Mobility Department an urgent interdict to implement measures in response to the ongoing mini-bus taxi-related violence.
The interim interdict is aimed at protecting commuters, operators and the public. It will remain in force until 9 October, when the court will decide whether to make it permanent. “This court order gives us the legal authority to act decisively to protect our communities and restore stability in the affected areas,” said Sileku. “Every commuter has the right to travel without fear, and we will work closely with law-enforcement agencies to ensure full compliance.”
Premier Alan Winde added: “We welcome this urgent interdict. While it was an act of last resort it is an important step towards stabilising the current situation. But more critically, we urge these taxi associations to return to negotiations to engage meaningfully and find a lasting solution. “They must always put their commuters’ interests first. This is non-negotiable.”
