Three people killed in Vosloorus as taxi associations try to restore calm

Three people including a grade 7 child were killed on Wednesday as taxi associations tried to restore calm in Volsloorus.

Taxi associations have geared up to protect shopping malls in Gauteng and gun shots rang out at the Chris Hani Mall despite an ANC delegation consisting of Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe and ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe visiting the area.

Three bodies have since been discovered in the area as taxi associations are at loggerheads with community members.

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The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) has instructed its member associations to go out in full force to protect shopping centres in their communities.

Mantashe in Vosloorus said that the ongoing violence was going to affect the poor and marginalised in the long run.

“Of great concern to me is that the working class and the poor are used to destroy infrastructure that is of service to them. I wish we can be able to convince people and make them understand the situation better. Let us stop destroying infrastructure,” Mantashe said during his visit to the Chris Hani Mall.

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“We urge communities to defend and protect the infrastructure that is of service to them.”

The number of deaths is expected to rise after police confirmed on Tuesday night that the death toll from the ongoing riots in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng stood at 72 with a total of 1,234 people arrested.