Three men aged 38, 40 and 50 respectively were arrested on 25 February in connection with the murder of Dobsonville Roodepoort Leratong Johannesburg Taxi Association (Dorljota) chairperson Vusi Shabangu (51), says SAPS spokesperson Warrant Officer Kay Makhubela.
One of the men was arrested at Dube Hostel in Soweto, one in Roodepoort and the third in Orlando West, also in Soweto. The arrests took place late Tuesday afternoon.
This comes precisely a week after Shabanghu was shot 11 times as he was reversing from the driveway of his girlfriend’s house in Zondi, Soweto. Two men walked right up to his BMW X5 and at close range opened fire with a R5 assault rifle and a 9mm pistol.
For full story read this week’s edition of the Record.
Taxi boss gunned down — 20 February
The chairperson of the Dobsonville Roodepoort Leratong Johannesburg Taxi Association (Dorljota) Vusi Shabangu died after what appears to be an execution-style attack on 17 February.
Shabangu was gunned down as he was leaving the property of his girlfriend in Zondi, Soweto at approximately 10pm on Monday night.
Two men allegedly approached his white BMW X5 on foot as he was exiting the driveway and opened fire at close range. Shabangu was hit 11 times. On the scene one live ammunition round from an R5 rifle, 10 empty R5 cartridges and four empty 9mm cartridges were found. According to an eyewitness the murderers fled to a vehicle parked in a veld close by and are still at large.
According to reports the death sent shock waves through the taxi industry, and Shabangu’s family and even rival taxi associations are refusing to talk to the media in fear of igniting taxi violence once again.
To read more on this story see this week’s edition of the Record where Dorljota Spokesperson speaks out.