‘HE CALLED ME THE K-WORD’
Taxi driver reveals the reason for viral Okapi attack on motorist
The taxi driver who was filmed stabbing a motorist in a viral video has broken his silence and said that the reason for the attack was because the motorist called him the K word.
Image: Supplied
THE taxi driver, who was filmed stabbing a motorist in a viral video, has broken his silence and said that the reason for the attack was because the motorist called him the K-word.
Footage of the violent attack at the intersection of Canon and Voortrekker Road in Maitland on 26 June went viral last week.
The taxi driver, who is a member of the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA), can be seen rukking a 48-year-old victim out of his vehicle.
The taxi driver is then seen getting on top of the man, pulls out an Okapi and then stabs the man.
Police say that the victim was stabbed eight times.
However, the taxi driver who is currently in the Eastern Cape attending to an “emergency” claims that he only stabbed the victim two times not eight times.
He said: “This person swore at me everything under the sun. He swore my “ma se p***” and called me a k****r, every swear word there is he told me.”
The taxi driver said he regrets not going to the police after the act, but said he will be going to the police station this week when he arrives back from the Eastern Cape.
Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk said a seasoned detective was assigned to follow up on this incident and interviewed the victim at his residence in Wynberg where an affidavit was obtained for investigation purposes.
He said that the case docket was escalated to the Western Cape Serious and Violent Crimes Taxi Violence Unit for further investigation.
Mandla Hermanus, chairperson of the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) expressed shock and confirmed that steps have been taken to assist SAPS in ensuring the law takes its course.
He added that both the driver and the vehicle owner were expected to report to SAPS on Friday, July 11, to hand themselves in.
Hermanus said: “It is very sad to see one of our drivers behaving in that manner which was absolutely barbaric and definitely uncalled for.
“We condemn the behaviour of this driver and this is not what we want to be known for. We will leave it to the law to take its course but when that has happened, we already spoke to the primary association that this driver cannot drive our vehicles ever again.”
Police are appealing to anyone who witnessed this incident, or the person who took the video clip is kindly requested to contact the investigation officer Detective Sergeant Thembelani Mekuto on 082 285 1058 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or use MySAPS mobile application anonymously.