Taxi tension erupts
A man was shot during taxi violence this morning on Ontdekkers Road.
A male passenger was wounded on Ontdekkers Road this morning 10 September after tension erupted between two taxi associations operating in the West Rand area.
Christo Venter, ER24 spokesperson says that a man was shot in the stomach and transported to a nearby hospital for further medical care. The incident caused traffic to become severely backed up.
The Roodepoort Record, our sister publication reported that a taxi from the Greater Krugersdorp Taxi Association (GKTA) allegedly was driving in the left lane towards Johannesburg when the shooting occurred at about 7.30am.
Just before the intersection of Ontdekkers and CR Swart Roads three armed men, allegedly from the Dobsonville Roodepoort Leratong Johannesburg Taxi Association (Dorljota), jumped out from behind the shrubs along the road and opened fire.
Dorljota spokesperson Zeblon Simelane said he could not comment on the incident and told the Record that the side of CR Swart Road on Ontdekkers Road where the shooting took place was GKTA turf.
The NEWS went to the scene to take photos and after the police had told the reporter to leave, he went to a taxi rank in Kagiso to speak to Emmanuel Kulate, a representative from GKTA to find out what was causing the tension between the two associations.
“This conflict is not a recent thing, it started a long time ago,” explains Kulate.
He says that the conflict is about taxis operating from the Kagiso Extension 12 area to the Westgate Shopping Centre in Roodepoort.
“Our main concern as GKTA is that despite having operating licences to those areas, Dorljota drivers started fighting with our drivers. They would stop them and force them to leave our territory.”
He tells the NEWS that their drivers have been told to remain calm and not to get violent.
“Five of our taxis were damaged in the process.”
Vusi Maziboko, a taxi driver from GKTA says that he is scared of driving his vehicle because of the violence.
Kulate confirms that their drivers are scared, with some not pitching up for work.
“We are not fighting. We have a responsibility towards our passengers and that is to get them to work – even if it means that we have to drive them in our private vehicles.”
He sympathises with the man who was shot on her way to work and says that it needs to end.
“We have had enough of this conflict and I think it is about time that the Department of Transport intervene and take out and take a stand against those who operate in our operating areas.”
He says that GKTA has about 200 taxis travelling to Johannesburg from which 45 commute to Westgate Shopping Centre.
The NEWS became aware of a shooting incident at a taxi rank close to Leratong Hospital yesterday 9 September in which two people were shot.
Warrant Officer Solomon Sibiya, a police spokesperson says that it is still unclear to what taxi association the people who were shot belong to.
“When police arrived at the scene no one could explain exactly what had happened and the suspects already had fled.”
He says one person is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit after being shot in the right shoulder. Another person is in a critical condition after being shot in the ankle and stomach.
Both patients are being treated at Leratong Hospital.
“Seven shots were fired from a 9mm pistol and two cases of attempted murder have also been opened.”
