Two people were injured in a shooting at Palm taxi rank in Delft on the morning of 28 October, with Public Order Police (POP) officers remaining at the scene to monitor the situation.

Two people shot

According to police spokesperson Constable Thembakazi Mpendukana, two people were injured and taken to a medical facility for treatment by another taxi.

“POP officers and other law-enforcement agencies are currently on the scene and monitoring the situation. This office will issue a response once all the information has been received,” said Mpendukana.

The shooting is the second at the taxi rank since Thursday last week (22 October), when two men were killed and a third wounded.

A taxi war has been brewing in the Western Cape in recent weeks, with several people killed in different shooting incidents in what is believed to be an ongoing conflict between the taxi associations Cata and Codeta.

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In the meantime, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has condemned the spate of shootings linked to taxi violence at several ranks. The City of Cape Town is offering its full policing support to the police, with metro officers responding alongside police to several incidents, including in Delft, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni, and Gugulethu.

“We utterly condemn the violence and lawlessness linked to disputes within the taxi industry. The senseless loss of life from these shootings must be met with the full might of a policing response. The police can rest assured they have our metro’s full policing support, including safety camera footage and surveillance technology, as well as direct boots on the ground.”

“Our officers are maintaining a heightened presence in the vicinity of various public transport interchanges to protect commuters and monitor the situation. The City will act to uphold the rule of law and support police to bring these violent criminals to book. I call on taxi industry leaders to rise above the violence and ensure peace and calm prevails,” said Hill-Lewis.

Support the police

JP Smith, mayco member for safety and security, said the City’s enforcement agencies have responded to several shooting incidents in support of the police.

“I also want to call on the public to help where possible. If you know who the perpetrators are, please report it so that they may be tracked down and stopped. We cannot tolerate a situation where thugs put innocent lives in harm’s way without consequence. The City has an anonymous tip-for-reward line, and I encourage anyone with information to please share it with us,” said Smith.

The public can share information, 24 hours a day, on 0800 110077.

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