Two taxi owners shot and killed at Joburg taxi rank

Police are investigating a case of double murder after two taxi owners belonging to the Ennerdale Taxi Association were shot and killed at the Phumla Mqashi taxi rank on Monday.

Lenasia South police spokesperson captain Mavela Masondo said authorities suspected the incident was related to “taxi violence”.

“It is alleged that on Monday morning at around 05:00 the two middle-aged taxi owners affiliated to the Ennerdale Taxi association were monitoring the queue of passengers at a taxi rank in Univille Plots/Phumla Mqashi in Lenasia South when two unknown armed suspects approached them from where they were standing and started opening fire on them,” he said.

Masondo said the two taxi owners unfortunately died on the scene as a result of the gunshot wounds they had sustained.

“No passengers were wounded during the incident, and there are no arrests at this stage,” he said.

The shooting comes after three other taxi owners were shot and killed in different incidents in Gauteng since the beginning of July.

Earlier this month, the country was shocked by the massacre of 11 taxi drivers who were travelling from KwaZulu-Natal to bury one of their own.

Police are yet to make arrests on these incidents.

Taxi owners and drivers have been at loggerheads over routes for a number of years, which has resulted in deaths in some areas.