Mourners gather to celebrate the lives of 13 taxi drivers slain in KZN

Ivory Park Taxi Association (IPTA) gathered at Rabie Ridge Hall on July 26 to mourn the death of fellow drivers who were brutally shot in KwaZulu-Natal.

Different taxi associations came to support IPTA in memory of 13 drivers who succumbed in the attack.

The drivers were brutally killed on July 21 when gunmen opened fire on the taxi they were travelling in, returning from a colleague’s funeral. Only four of the people in the Toyota Quantum survived the attack which happened along the R74 between Colenso and Weenen.

A colleague in the taxi industry, Jabulani Ntshangase, said it was a sad moment to witness young people die in such a brutal way.

Chairperson of the IPTA Johannes Mkhonza also expressed his disappointment in the loss of the 13 lives.

“We are really hurt by the loss. We really pride ourselves in our drivers. Our drivers are well-known and well-behaved drivers in Gauteng. They were the first drivers to change their dress code. We serve with pride,” said Mkhonza.

Many speakers condemned the escalating killings in the taxi industry and called for unity to save lives of operators who are dying in numbers.

The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) president, Phillip Taaibosch, said it was time to tell the people who were planning the killings that it was enough.

“Today I blame three institutions: the taxi owner, government and the media. Those are the people responsible for the continuous confusion of where the taxi industry should be going,” said Taaibosch.

He told the media that taxi operators are business people trying to build professionalism in the industry, therefore, they are not enemies. Taaibosch said the government is taking attention away from where the problem is, claiming that the Mall of Africa could have been the cause of the killings.

“It is high time that we put the problem where it is, for as long as the government wants to shift the blame and not control its officials who are giving people operating licences on top of other people’s routes.

“Who are those people, who are they working for?”

He said government knew that there were associations already operating, he said the government was supposed to consult those associations before issuing permits.

Speaking on behalf of the City of Johannesburg’s transport department, Teboho Jele said the city sends its deepest condolences on the tragedy that has happened in KwaZulu-Natal.

“We welcome the arrest of one of the suspects and we pledge that law enforcement will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the assailants are brought to book,” said Jele.