Taxi violence not ruled out in Rooihuiskraal double murder

Provincial police were not ruling out the possibility of taxi violence in the shooting and killing of two men along Prinia Street in Rooihuiskraal last week, Pretoria Rekord reports.

“We cannot rule it out, but at this moment, it remains unknown,” spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubela said. Jabu Mhlangu and his driver Fency Mphahlele were shot and killed while they pushed a bakkie from Mhlangu’s yard on Wednesday, 7 October.

Mahlangu was the chairperson of the Pretoria-Mabopane-Polokwane taxi association. Mphahlele was his driver.

“On 7 October, at about 12:30, a white Mazda 6 with three occupants was driving along Prinia Street in Rooihuiskraal, Centurion, and two occupants started shooting at them,” Makhubela said.

“No arrests have been made at the moment,” Makhubela said, adding the motive behind the shooting was unknown.

Monitor Net security spokesperson JP le Roux said the two men were certified dead at the scene upon the arrival of Community Emergency Response Team SA (Cert-SA) paramedics.

Meanwhile, Gauteng public transport and roads infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo condemned the killing of the two, adding that Mahlangu was one of the industry’s young leaders who were committed to transformation in the taxi industry.

“This heinous act has robbed the industry of a brilliant, capable and humble leader who played an instrumental role during negotiations to resolve a dispute between long-distance associations operating between Bosman Taxi Rank in Tshwane and [the] Limpopo province,” he said.

“This is a great loss to the sector. He was among those who were committed to turning the image of the taxi industry around.”

Mamabolo also extended his “heartfelt and deepest” condolences to the two men’s families and friends while also calling on law enforcement agencies to “leave no stone unturned” in bringing the assailants to book.

“I am confident that law enforcement and the justice system will bring [the] perpetrator/s to book no matter how long it takes. The law shall prevail,” he said.

While it remained unclear whether or not the killings of the men were indeed related to taxi violence, multiple taxi operators have been killed in the Pretoria area over recent weeks and months.

At least three taxi operators were shot and killed in Rosslyn, north of Pretoria, Atteridgeville, in the west, and the Pretoria CBD last month.

The operator shot and killed in Rosslyn was driving when his Toyota Quantum when he was overtaken by a Toyota Conquest with two unknown occupants who fired several shots killing him.

Days earlier, two other taxi operators were shot and killed hours apart in separate incidents.

In recent years, several taxi operators have lost their lives in and around Pretoria in what has been described by police as taxi violence.

Provincial police commissioner Elias Mawela previously said taxi violence posed a “huge” threat to the safety and lives of innocent commuters.

“It is for this reason that the investigators must urgently deploy all available resources towards apprehending the perpetrators and decisively curbing this violence.”