Cape Town - Nine people have been shot – three of them fatally – in suspected taxi-related shootings this morning.
Western Cape police are probing the murders and attempted murders.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said two 39-year-old men were shot dead in Bukwayo Road in Harare.
In Mew Way, a 42-year-old man was shot and wounded while an unknown man, believed to be a taxi driver, was transported to a nearby hospital with private transport after he sustained a gunshot wound.
Swartbooi said that in an unrelated matter, policemen discovered the body of a 45-year-old man in the driver’s seat of his vehicle in Symphony Way near Blikkiesdorp.
He said medical personnel declared the victim dead at the scene.
The SAPS also attended to a scene near Sarah Baartman where a taxi driver was shot in both legs.
"Near to TRA 5 in Delft South the driver of a retail business was dropping off employees. Two unknown males tried to stop the vehicle when the driver sped off," he said.
Swartbooi said the gunmen fired numerous gunshots at the vehicle, wounding a man and two female occupants. The victims were transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Shots were fired at a taxi rank in Nyanga. @TheCapeArgus@IOL
— Sisonke Mlamla (@SISONKE_MD) July 13, 2021
Video: Commuter pic.twitter.com/0wuMqaHeC2
He said the gunmen in all the cases mentioned fled the scene and remain at large.
“Harare police are investigating two murder and two attempted murder cases while Delft police are investigating a case of murder and four cases of attempted murder,” he said.
Congress of Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta) spokesperson Andile Khanyi confirmed that some of the killed drivers belonged to their association.
Khanyi said Codeta did not know what the motive was but suspected that there might be a third force involved.
Swartbooi said additional police resources had been deployed in the areas affected by the violence while detectives were pursuing leads to apprehend those responsible.
Anyone who can assist the police with information is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111.
Video: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency