Four People Killed, Several Injured in Deadly Mfuleni Taxi Rank Shooting
Four people were gunned down and three others injured during a shooting at the Mfuleni taxi rank on Friday morning.
The brazen attack has once again highlighted the deep-seated tensions within the province’s minibus taxi sector.
Gunmen Open Fire at Codeta Office
According to Major-General Bongani Maqashalala, deputy police commissioner for the detection division, two gunmen stormed into a Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) office and opened fire using high-calibre firearms.
Four men were killed at the scene, and three others — including one commuter — sustained injuries.
“We believe the suspects used high-calibre firearms, as evidenced by the crime scene. We have since increased police presence to ensure the safety of commuters,” said Maqashalala.
Taxi Conflict May Be the Motive
Maqashalala further stated that the shooting appears to be connected to ongoing tensions between taxi associations, particularly Codeta and the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata).
“Codeta has a permit to operate in Somerset West but does not have a taxi rank there. We believe this is causing tension with the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata),” he explained.
SANTACO Condemns the Violence
Mandla Hermanus, provincial chairperson of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) in the Western Cape, expressed shock and outrage at the killings.
“We condemn this brutal and criminal act in the strongest possible terms. We call on law enforcement agencies to act swiftly and decisively to identify and arrest those responsible,” said Hermanus.
He added that SANTACO would engage the affected taxi association to fully understand the circumstances and explore solutions to restore peace.
Calls for Calm and Unity
Hermanus urged taxi operators and stakeholders to remain calm and avoid retaliation.
“This incident must not be allowed to derail the ongoing efforts to build peace and unity within the taxi industry across the province,” he said.