DISCUSSIONS are under way about a reward for information that may lead to the arrest and conviction of the suspects behind a shooting that claimed the lives of five taxi operators in Ceres on Monday.
This was confirmed by Transport and Public Works MEC Daylin Mitchell, who also revealed that the latest incident brought to 45 the number of taxi-related murders in the Western Cape since the start of the year. Nineteen people were wounded over the same period
The operators killed at the Vredebes Taxi Rank near Nduli were thought to be affiliated to the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association, he said.
“I strongly condemn these killings, and the safety of citizens who use public transport especially minibus taxis to commute to and from work is my prime consideration.I will therefore take whatever steps are available to me to ensure that public transport commuters are safe,” he said.
Mitchell said this would include his department, as well as the Department of Community Safety, under the leadership of MEC Albert Fritz, assisting SAPS to get to the bottom of the killings.
“I will also be approaching Minister Fritz about the possibility of putting up a reward for information to assist the SAPS in their investigation.The Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works remains determined to address the root causes of this ongoing violence and we will continue to work closely with law enforcement to bring the criminals behind these killings to book.”
Anyone with information about the shooting can anonymously contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or SMS Crime Line on 32211.