Four dead in bloody taxi attacks

Tensions are running high and taxis have had to stop operations in Vrygrond following several violent incidents believed to be gang- and taxi related.

The community was left shaken after four people were shot and killed and several injured over the past week.

One taxi driver was shot and killed in Drury Road, Vrygrond, a Retreat taxi driver was shot and killed in his taxi on the corner of Prince George Drive and Military Road, a 16-year-old was shot and killed at the Vrygrond taxi rank in Jappie Road, and another Retreat taxi driver was shot and killed in Overcome Heights.

A four-year-old child was also wounded during the latter incident and rushed to hospital for treatment.

Makhosandile Tumana, chairperson for the Vrygrond Democratic Taxi Association and South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) spokesperson, said many more people have been injured and killed in shootings in Westlake.

He said the violence started when a member of the taxi association was accused of allegedly shooting and killing a member of the Junky Funky Kids in Westlake on Sunday November 24.

“The gang came to the Vrygrond Taxi rank on Tuesday to ask who shot their member but then they shot one of our drivers and he is still fighting for his life in hospital. Since then they have been shooting drivers from any association and targeting people that have nothing to do with taxis. We are still trying to figure out what the real story is but in the meantime they are killing our drivers, drivers from other associations and other innocent people.”

The association's offices were also burnt on Sunday December 1 which Mr Tumana believes is part of the attack on the association.

Taxi operations were halted because of the attacks but drivers were expected to return to work on Tuesday December 3, said Mr Tumana.

Muizenberg police spokesperson Captain Stephen Knapp confirmed a conflict between a particular gang and the Vrygrond taxi association. He said more resources had been deployed to address the situation and no one had yet been arrested in any of the murder and attempted murder cases.

“Since last week Saturday till this past Sunday four people have been killed and there is still no understanding of what the root cause of the violence is but it is under investigation,” said Captain Knapp.

Mymoena Scholtz, founder of Vrygrond NGO Where Rainbows Meet, said people are losing their lives due to disputes.

“It is sad to see how our youth just go out there and kill without blinking an eye, leaving families in pain and children growing up in a world full of messed up people and suffering. There should be a line between taxi owners and gangsters as they are both a threat to their own communities.”

She said the affected communities live in fear, not knowing if they’ll see another day or be hit by a stray bullet at the hands of perpetrators.

“We as an organisation are even more determined to break this cycle of the ongoing source of violence that has and is affecting our communities big time, through our development programmes. We had to put our training off as we cannot risk the lives of innocent people coming from outside areas.

“I am so very sad and disappointed that our communities are once again held hostage in the place they called home,” she said.

This is not the first time the community has been “held hostage” by gang- and taxi violence.

In 2022, nine people were shot and killed and several others injured in shootings over the space of a weekend in October of that year (“Fears escalate in Vrygrond”, Southern Mail, October 5, 2022).

“We do not want to lose more drivers like we did two years ago when eight drivers were killed. We call for urgent intervention and swift action from law enforcement,” said Mr Tamana

Anyone with information about the incidents can contact Crime Stop on 086 00 10111.