Taxi mogul fights for life

An Eastern Cape taxi mogul and peace activist is in critical condition after being gunned down outside his house yesterday morning.

Mxolisi Sontshantsha, who owns several taxis and buses in East London that run both locally and across the province, is a former member of the Mdantsane East London and District Taxi Association (Melta).

He led a group of more than 200 members who joined the Mdantsane East London Taxi Association (Meta) after breaking ranks with Melta.

He is the third former member of Melta to be gunned down this year.

Saziso Joka was shot dead in broad daylight two months ago while transporting people on the Phumlani route outside East London.

Xolani Maphuma was shot dead at the Mdantsane Highway Taxi Rank in Mdantsane in March.

Sontshantsha was shot outside his house in Albany Street in North End.

It is alleged he was shot by two men and was hit in the upper body.

The men were chased by neighbours who trade not far from Sontshantsha’s home but they got away.

Sontshantsha’s distraught wife Nosikhumbuzo said she rushed outside when she heard a gunshot.

“I saw my husband lying on his side, with the bucket of water he was using to wash the car, overturned.

“My neighbours helped me to lift him up. One thing that is clear is that this was not a robbery.

“They would have taken the car or entered the house to take something.

“uTata was left for dead, they didn’t try to take anything.”

Nosikhumbuzo said her husband was a peacemaker.

“He was always the mediator during clashes, never a target or leading an attack, I don’t understand this.”

East London police spokesman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said a case of attempted murder was under investigation.

She would not say if Sontshantsha’s shooting was linked to the taxi infighting.

“We cannot say or confirm that right now as this is early in the investigation.”

In an interview with the Daily Dispatch yesterday afternoon, Melta spokesman Welile Blayi said he was not aware of the latest incident.

“It’s the first I’m hearing of this. I’ve been away. We will investigate and release a statement ,” he said.

Meta chairman Michael Mphunga believes the shooting was a hit.

“If you look at our members who were killed this year, they are all the disgruntled former members of Melta.”

In Mthatha and the OR Tambo District, more than 10 taxi operators were killed between April and July this year.

At the heart of the violence is competition for taxi routes.

The deaths are now the subject of investigations by the police’s Organised Crime Unit.

Sontshantsha’s shooting has left the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) baffled, saying the incidents could be prevented.

Santaco provincial leader Noluntu Mahashe said the infighting was over a “petty” matter.

“A fight over a chairmanship position cannot lead to the loss of lives.

“This is the third person to be shot from the two factions from this association; two have died. We condemn this.”

Mahashe said the latest incident came at a time the industry was engaging government on taxi subsidies.

“We don’t need this, not now. Not at the time where we are busy with taxi master plans and plans to subsidise this industry.” — bonganif@dispatch.co.za/malibongwed@dispatch.co.za