Taxi passenger guns down driver in Johannesburg

A passenger in a minibus taxi gunned down the driver in full view of commuters in Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon before fleeing.

The driver was ferrying passengers from Randburg to the Johannesburg CBD at the time.

An eyewitness reported the man d apparently asked to be dropped off after a traffic light. As he was about to alight, he pulled out a gun and shot at the driver.

The eyewitness said after being shot, the driver lost control of the vehicle and the passengers jumped out.

Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the taxi was heading to Johannesburg between 17:30 and 17:45 when an armed passenger attacked the driver.

Fihla added the shooting had taken place along Jan Smuts between Empire Road and the M1 freeway.

“It is alleged that a passenger shot him in the upper body. The alleged gunman together with another passenger from the taxi then exited the taxi and jumped into a Toyota Corolla. The sedan, suspected to be a getaway car, then drove away.”

The motive of the shooting has yet to be determined.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.