CAPE TOWN: Three people have been killed and one more person was injured, during a shooting incident ,at the Joe Slovo taxi rank, in Cape Town, on Wednesday.
According to the provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa, the Taxi Task Team is investigating the matter.
She said police were called out to the scene in Milnerton, at about 9am, where they found the bodies of three men with gunshot wounds.
The fourth person was rushed to a medical facility for treatment.
Potelwa confirmed that the incident is linked to the current ongoing taxi conflict in the province.
“Police have opened murder and attempted murder dockets for investigation. The age of the deceased persons is estimated to be between 27 and 40.
“Their identities are yet to be determined. Preliminary findings are that the incident is linked to taxi conflict,” she said.
Police have urged anyone with information, in relation to the shooting incident, to come forward and contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
There has been ongoing taxi conflict in the Western Cape for months and, just as the dust settled, with the main taxi associations – Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) and Congress of Democratic Taxi Associations (CODETA) – along with the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW), reaching agreement to work together in unison.
Earlier this year, MEC of Transport and Public Works Daylin Mitchell closed routes and ranks due to the violence.
The DTPW has condemned the violence and criminality.
It has also passed on its condolences to the families of the victims.
“The DTPW is continually engaging industry leadership in order to find solutions to the problem. The safety of every transport user is our top priority.
“This is, however, not a problem we are able to resolve on our own, and will only be successfully responded to if the industry supports our efforts.
“The department, through mechanisms at our disposal will, however, not hesitate to revoke operating licences and close routes or ranks if the lives of commuters are deemed to be at risk,” said the DTPW, in a statement to IOL.
The DTPW has urged the taxi industry leadership to assist the SAPS with their investigations and restore calm to the taxi industry, for the sake of commuters.
IOL