Three people were shot near Pan Africa Shopping Centre on January 30. The victims were rushed to the hospital, but one of them, a taxi owner and alleged loan shark linked to the Alexandra Taxi Association (ATA), succumbed to his injuries.

According to police, the three were shot by two men believed to have been targeting the taxi owner.

“They [men] were hanging around 2nd Avenue. The information we got [indicates] that these two had come for the one who died. The friends were just shot because they were with him,” Alex Police Station Commander Brigadier Vusimuzi Ngubane said.

“He [taxi owner] is always hanging around there, waiting for his clients.”

Read more: Slain Alexandra Taxi Association chairperson worried about infighting before his death 

Although the incident happened in full view of everyone during the day, eyewitnesses have not come forward to share any information with the police.

Police confirmed that a case of murder and two cases of attempted murder are under investigation.

The motive behind the shooting is yet to be determined as investigations continue. Police said that although one of the victims was a taxi owner, they cannot speculate that the incident is linked to taxi violence, which has seen a rise in Alexandra and, more specifically, affected members linked to ATA.

ATA secretary Sibusiso Zwane confirmed that he had received news about the shooting of one of their members; however, he had not received more information about the incident.

Ngubane noted that because no one is coming forward with any information, it does not mean investigators have hit a dead end. “When you visit the crime scene, you find a lot of things which can help you,” he said, referring to other forms of evidence gathered on the scene, including DNA.

He added that although witnesses may not come forward immediately, some do after some time, often as anonymous sources.

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