Five attempted murder dockets have been opened, one by a policeman who was lucky to escape the shootings unharmed.

The last shooting occurred shortly before 16:00 after which scores of police officers, including the public order unit, secured the scene.

The shootings took place between 14:30 and 16:00 at the taxi rank situated on the corner of John Magagula- and Orange Street.

White security bakkies with ND registration numbers were involved in all the shootings eyewitnesses say.

A Nissan hardbody with the registration ND 717414 was involved in at least two of the shootings. A Mercedes Benz, with registration JNW694MP, was also involved.

The first shooting took place at 14:30.

A taxi driver waiting to load passengers says a white bakkie arrived and he was ordered to stop loading passengers. A number of shots were then fired at the taxi driver, who was not injured.

At 14:45 two taxis were shot at.

Both drivers say that the white security bakkie was involved, alongside the Mercedes Benz.

Two men in the bakkie were armed with assault rifles, as well as the driver of the Mercedes. A third occupant of the bakkie was armed with a pistol.

Shots were then fired. In this specific shooting incident, one man was arrested after he was identified by the taxi driver and an eyewitness.

Police arrived on the scene shortly after the shooters fled.

Shortly before 16:00 the white bakkie again arrived at the taxi rank where shots were fired at taxis, commuters and a police officer.

The officer says the suspects were armed with R5 assault rifles and pistols.

Around 30 taxis and 100 passengers were on the scene. The officer fired two warning shots at the bakkie which then fled the scene.

The police officer found eight R5 rounds lying where the bakkie was shooting from. Some of the suspects attempted to pick up shell casings when the warning shots were fired by the officer.

Miraculously, no one was wounded in any of the incidents.

The SAPS has warned that any more taxi violence will be met with the same force.

The police urged taxi drivers and commuters to be vigilant.

One of the taxi drivers told www.mobserver.co.za on the scene that he will now arm himself and return fire on anyone threatening his, or his passenger’s lives.

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