Cops seek info on Seshego taxi owner’s murder suspects

POLOKWANE – The police are requesting the public’s assistance for information on the two men responsible for the shooting of ‘monkey trouble’ taxi boss last weekend.

The men walked into the City Centre taxi rank on April 15 with their faces uncovered and fired one shot each at Kgabo Phihlela’s head, leaving him to die on the scene.

Read more: Taxi owner gunned down three years after his brother

Onlookers to events said the men proceeded to blatantly exit the rank, without being hurried or an attempt to hide their identities.

To date, information about their identities, what clothes they wore on the day or their escape, possibly in a vehicles, has not been provided to the police.

This is despite a considerable number of street vendors and rank employees who occupy the area, who could have spotted useful information about the suspects.

The 50-year-old Phihlela, who was attached to the Seshego Polokwane Taxi Association (SPTA) owned a number of taxis, some of which are identifiable to commuters and Seshego residents through an embellishment of the phrase ‘monkey trouble’ at the top of the windscreens.

His taxis transported commuters between Seshego and Polokwane, and Phihlela has been described by close colleagues as someone who was notoriously known, with some expressing little shock at his death.

The shooting, which occurred at around 15:55 according to the police, has seen commuters worried about their safety at the rank.

The next morning, a sedan and two taxis were found burnt out at the Seshego rank, which did not make things easier for the association’s executive committee.

Read more: Taxis torched a day after death of fleet owner at city rank

SPTA Chairperson United Nemaungani said they are in the process of alleviating concerns through tight safety checks, and he denied knowing any probable links between the setting alights of vehicles owned by various entities, and Phihlela’s death.

“Our members have been on the same page for a while now, from our knowledge. There have not been grievances lodged before the exco, so we cannot confirm any relations for all of those. Our condolences to the family.”

Phihlela was buried in Seshego Zone 8 last Saturday.

Taxi violence seemed to have withered in the city in recent times, although a taxi driver attached to the same association was shot dead months ago. The brother of the deceased, Simon Phihlela, suffered a similar fate in 2020, over an alleged colleagial quarrel that saw him being gunned down.

Some known taxi feuds emanated from the commissioning of some taxi owners and drivers to the Polokwane Municipality to create way for the Leeto la Polokwane bus service, which transports passengers in and out of the city to local areas, including Seshego.

This caused division within the association, as some supported the commissioning while others did not.

The feud over assigned routes with other local taxi associations also created enemies for many while power to control rank administrative duties caused discord among members of the association.