POLOKWANE – Women associated with the Federated Long Distance Taxi Association’s (FELDTA) women’s league plan to demonstrate their unity with the widows of the taxi driver and community leader who were murdered earlier this year.
The women planned to gather before the Mokopane Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday wearing black attire, at the same time that the three murder-accused, Samuel Matjila, Patric Sekhu and Desmond Mashabane, were due to appear. The three men were arrested after taxi owner, Gideon Fatana was shot and killed at his home in Mokopane in April. A day later, community leader, Charles Mogidi, was fatally shot at the Mokopane taxi rank.The league’s chairperson, Hulisani Grace Netshiozwi, said they also mourned the deaths of the men as members of the association.
“As women, we share the same pain the widows of the slain men are enduring. We know that the pain cannot be equated but the support we are going to show in court will mean a lot to the widows. We want to extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and hope that one day they will find closure.”
FELDTA provincial chairperson, Reuben Thaba, strongly condemning the brutal killings. Thaba said he believes the killings are “cowardly” scare tactics to cause a rift within the taxi industry in Mokopane.
“The taxi business cannot operate smoothly and professionally when there are bullies within the industry. The era of taxi wars belongs to the dustbins of history and they should not resurface at this juncture. As these three men appear in court this week, our wish is to see justice served.”
