A taxi owner believed to be linked to the Alexandra Taxi Association was shot and killed in Alexandra. His murder adds to a spate of suspected murder cases reported in the township in just two days.

Reports indicate that the 35-year-old victim was killed on 8th Avenue, near Nobuhle Hostel, Alex News reports.

Alexandra Police Station commander Vusimuzi Ngubane confirmed the incident, noting that sources alleged some men approached the deceased, who was sitting in his car, spoke to him, and then shot him.

He said an investigation to ascertain what led to the shooting is underway.

“At the moment, we don’t have any information. The witnesses are not here, and we are still investigating what the motive for this is,” he told Alex News.

Ngubane said relatives confirmed that the deceased was a taxi owner. However, he noted that this still has to be investigated. “Whether true or not, that would be determined by the investigations,” he said.

This latest incident adds to the list of recent murder cases in the area.

On Thursday, residents woke up to a grim discovery — a man lying dead in a pool of blood on 6th Avenue and Ruth Street. Another body was discovered just a few metres away from the first.

Although authorities have not shared details about these two incidents, some residents reported hearing multiple gunshots around 22:30.

The recent reports, compounded by multiple gun-related murders in December, have once again underscored the severity of gun violence in Alexandra — one of the most pressing issues police are grappling with.

Although investigations into the multiple murders in Alexandra are underway, police have raised concerns about the limited information they have to work with.

Of all the gun-related murder cases recorded last month, Ngubane said they have only arrested a single suspect.

“Only one suspect was arrested. In some of the cases of the deceased, the suspect is unknown. And there are no witnesses. They [police] are still investigating.”

He said investigating officers are relying mostly on what they find at crime scenes, because residents are not coming forward with information due to fear.

“When you talk to the community, they say no, they are afraid to tell the police. It is not a matter of trust now, they said they are afraid that these people can come after them.”

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