Rising taxi violence condemned

Government and taxi associations have strongly condemned rising taxi violence in the Mthatha region.

Border Alliance Association taxi president Vuyani Mshiywa, Uncedo Service Taxi Association (USTA) president Ntsikelelo Gaehler as well as president of the Mthatha Taxi Owners’ Association Zanemvula Gaya, urged against using violence as a means of settling disputes.

The fighting is over the taxi route between Libode and Mthatha along the R61.

Gaya called for a cease fire after three commuters were shot dead and 15 others were critically injured during a drive-by shooting yesterday evening (Thursday) near the Circus Triangle Mall in Mthatha, which is located on the R61 towards Port St Johns.

“Killing innocent lives cannot at any stage justified,” he said.

Mshiywa and Gaehler said they were organising an urgent meeting in a bid to halt the violence.

“This is demonic, we cannot allow such a thing to continue. This needs to be stopped, we are not here to murder others, but conduct business. We need cool heads,” said Gaehler.

While Mshiywa said: “We cannot return to the days of voilence. As business people we must sit around a table and resolve our problems as professionals.”

Transport, safety and liaison MEC Weziwe Tikana condemned the violence.

“This is a barbaric. We thought taxi operators had  the issue of routes. Police have been instructed to arrest the situation before it gets out of hand,” said Tikana’s spokeman Ncedo Kumbaca.

Kumbaca said a prayer meeting, requested by USTA, is to be held in East London on Sunday to pray for an end to violence in the province.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela urged members of the public to come forward with any information that may help them arrest the gunmen responsible for last night’s shooting.