WALKERVILLE – A 56-year-old taxi boss attached to the Meyerton African Taxi Association (MATA) was gunned down in a hail of bullets on Tuesday afternoon, September 12, in Walkerville.
The victim, whose identity is being withheld at this time, was driving his silver VW Polo Vivo along R82 in the direction of Johannesburg when tragedy struck.
His peaceful drive quickly took a horrifying turn as the victim was pursued by a Renault Kwid, without a registration plate.
In the vehicle (Kwid) were four African male suspects, whose motives remain mysterious.
The incident escalated dramatically when the Renault Kwid, driven by the unknown assailants, pulled up in front of the victim’s vehicle, effectively blocking his path.
Three of the suspects exited their car and proceeded to open fire relentlessly upon the defenseless victim.
The attack was swift and brutal, leaving the victim with multiple gunshot wounds that proved fatal.
Police and Emergency services were called to the scene, but tragically, their efforts were in vain, and the taxi boss succumbed to his injuries.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Sedibeng Cluster Police Spokesman Captain Fikile Funda said they have launched a thorough investigation into this horrific murder, yet the identities of the assailants and their motives remain unknown.
“We are investigating a murder case following the incident. According to information at our disposal, the suspects stopped in front of the deceased vehicle and three suspects got out of their vehicle and opened fire on the deceased. The deceased sustained multiple gunshot wounds on his body and passed on. The suspects are currently unknown. The motive for the murder is also unknown,” he said.
An eyewitness who chose to remain anonymous said the assailants had a conversation with the victim before shooting him.
“When the car stopped, the three men surrounded the vehicle and seemingly spoke to the driver. In a spare of a moment, they opened fire on him, jumped on their vehicle and fled,” he said.
South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) Spokesman Midday Mali condemned the incident.
“If there are issues to to address, resorting to violence is not a solution. Members should resort to going to a round table and come up with everlasting resolutions,” he said.
