The usually quiet taxi rank in Blybank became the latest scene of the ongoing violence in the local minibus taxi industry this week.

This taxi rank was full of vehicles at approximately 20:20 on Friday evening, November 7.

The vehicles were almost ready to depart for their destinations when two unknown men stormed into the rank. The attackers started shooting at the parked taxis, hitting anyone who, unfortunately, happened to be there at the time.

Two men, one of whom has been identified as Ntshelelelo Sikiyo (52), a queue marshal for the Busatu taxi association in Blybank, were killed at the scene. The other deceased was a 24-year-old innocent bystander.

Five other people were also injured in the shooting.

Two of the injured are Busatu taxi drivers of respectively 25 and 48 years old, who were shot in the left upper chest and right leg.

Three innocent bystanders were also hit. An 18-year-old was shot in the arm, abdomen, and left thigh, a 60-year-old was hit in the little finger of his right hand, and a 50-year-old was hit in the left thigh and left knee.

After the attack, the killers jumped into a white Toyota Quantum and sped off. Police later discovered this minibus abandoned next to the Blybank road.
The injured were rushed to the hospital.

The police’s special taxi violence unit is investigating two murder cases as well as five cases of attempted murder. It is the first time that a shooting of this nature has taken place at the taxi rank in Blybank.