Motorist assaulted in taxi rival war
KYALAMI - While taxi violence erupted in a shootout in Midrand on 9 October, many have been experiencing intimidation from owners of rival taxi associations for weeks.
A construction business owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, said for weeks her foreman has been picking up workers from Diepsloot to work on a project in Waterfall.
Earlier this week her foreman was turning onto William Nicol Drive from outside Diepsloot Mall, when he was pulled over by men claiming they were from a Randburg taxi association and that transporting workers was illegal.
They intimidated him and told him he needed to pay them a R2 000 fine. He did not have the money on him so after a while, the men let him go.
The business owner said that for this reason he began to take a different route from Diepsloot via Summit Road.
On 9 October, while a shootout between taxi owners took place on the K101 in Midrand, the foreman was pulled over on Summit Road by men claiming to be from a rival taxi association.
They allegedly demanded that the foreman pay them a R600 fine. He again did not have money on him, but this time the men turned violent.
The foreman was assaulted and, according to the business owner, he was hit very hard on the side of his head and is now having trouble hearing.
The business owner said the foreman refused to report the incident to the police as he said the men who had assaulted him had also threatened to kill him if he told the police.
Read our previous story here:
Bystander shot dead in taxi fight
