A dispute between taxi owners left three dead and one man fighting for his life in hospital following a shooting incident at the Joe Slovo taxi rank in Milnerton yesterday.
There are now fears that taxi violence is flaring up again after more than a month of peace and quiet.
Daily Voice sources say an argument broke out between several drivers at about 9am.
The confrontation was about to turn physical when one man tried to stop it, but the others turned on him.
He then allegedly pulled his gun and shot at the four victims, aged between 27 and 40, before fleeing the scene in his bakkie.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa says detectives from the Taxi Task Team are investigating the incident.
“Police were called out to the crime scene at 9am where they found the bodies of three men with gunshot wounds,” she says.
“A fourth person, who was also shot and wounded in the incident, was taken to a medical facility for treatment.
“Police have opened murder and attempted murder dockets for investigation. The ages of the deceased persons are estimated between 27 and 40.
“Their identities are yet to be determined.
“Preliminary findings are that the incident is linked to taxi conflict.”
However, neither Cata nor Codeta would confirm whether the suspect and victims were affiliated to them.
When the Daily Voice contacted him for comment, Andile Soyamo, spokesperson for Cata, said he was not aware of the shooting.
“I don’t know anything about the shooting, it is the first time I hear about it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Codeta’s spokesperson Besuthu Ndungane refused to comment, saying: “I cannot say anything, this matter is under police investigation.”
SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) provincial spokesperson Gershon Geyer said: “We are not clear at this stage if this incident is taxi-related.
“Santaco denounces any acts of violence.”
The shooting comes just over a month after a deadly war over routes between the two taxi associations was brought to a halt on 2 August following an intervention by the Western Cape Transport Department.
An agreement was reached after Transport MEC Daylin Mitchell closed several routes and ranks in July, following the deaths of nearly 30 people in taxi-related violence, and thousands of commuters were left stranded, after operators pulled out of routes due to fear.
Mitchell recently allowed minibus taxis, that were barred from operating in the Bellville Transport interchange, back after he was satisfied that the violence had abated enough to allow the associations to operate from Bellville again.
nomzamo.yuku@inl.co.za