According to provincial police spokesperson Captain Augustinah Selepe, the suspects are all taxi owners and are between the ages of 50 and 65. She declined to comment on which taxi associations the suspects were from, as the information is part of the ongoing investigation.
In the meantime, Ismail Vadi, Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, has condemned the alleged taxi violence.
During an alleged shootout between taxi bosses and illegal operators, two women were shot – one was wounded, while the other later died.
Vadi dispatched Metro police to the area to keep the peace and ensure safety for commuters. When asked whether the department was expecting any further violence in the area, Vadi said, “It is important to note that a woman lost her life due to a shooting in the area, and as part of pro-active policing we saw it fit to take these steps.”
Reports on Twitter are that the operation has resulted in 71 taxis being impounded. The City of Johannesburg @CityofJoburgZA tweeted at around 11am on 10 October, “49 minutes ago @JMPDSafety impounded 71 taxis as intervention to the taxi violence in Midrand.”
Read our previous stories here:
Three arrested for fatal shooting on K101
Gauteng Transport Minister speaks out on taxi shooting
